By: S.K. Sami
Peshawar: An external Audit proposed recovery of over payment to Vice Chancellor Abbottabad University of Science & Technology, Dr. Tahir Irfan Khan Jadoon on account of Salary package amounting to PKR 3.971 million. The audit scrutinized in light of the Higher Education Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Notification No. SO9UDHE/15-1 para-2 reported that the Vice Chancellor had freshly been appointed at the Position on 6th March, 2020. It was noticed that the Vice Chancellor of Abbottabad University appointed with monthly salary package of PKR 616,720 for a fresh appointment of stage-1 employee which had been questioned by two members of the committee but both of them stood failed to establish their opinion amongst the rest of members. The Audit report indicated that the remuneration of freshly appointed VC including initial pay of Tenure Track System is Rs. 292,500 and twenty percent ceiling medical allowance after that the total monthly salary of a freshly appointed Vice Chancellor is PKR 359,320. It was proposed that the additional amount which the Vice Chancellor has been getting since his joining to be recovered accordingly. Besides getting house allowance, Dr. Tahir Irfan Jadoon also used official Guest House of the Institute as his accommodation.
The Auditor also noticed during financial scrutiny that the VC drawn PKR 285,616 as TA/DA, shifting from United Kingdom for Joining the university which was not admissible for arrival to his duty. Para deemed it an un-authorized drawn of payment. It was also found that the Vice Chancellor submitted two joining reports on different dates to Higher Education Department. Dr. Jadoon was doing his job at UK while had been appointed at Abbottabad University and was receiving salaries from both the sources, audit pointed out. The VC later on charged Rs. 690,000 in account of a trip to Turkey while HED had conditionally approved the trip with no financial implications.
According to official record the Vice Chancellor among 72 political inductions, has filled senior positions on fixed pay including Assistant Registrar which as per the rule should properly be advertized and permanent staff to be recruited on.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Universities’ Act 11(5) d says “create and fill temporary posts for a period not exceeding than one year after which the posts shall stand abolished”. A source told that in pressure of a senior member of provincial cabinet, the Vice Chancellor illegally provided extension to about 72 fixed employees by violation of KP University’s Act.
According to official documents, the treasury section of the Institute on October 21st 2021 drafted a letter asking the VC to “implement actual work load on the faculty to minimize additional hiring, to assign additional tasks to administration staff in order the teaching cadre members not to perform on administrative cadre positions. The letter suggested downsizing the non-teaching staff to manage financial position of the Institute. The letter asked to stop other activities as the Institute will be defaulted and he will be unable to defend the Vice Chancellor office”. According to official record the Vice Chancellor by a written note warned the Director Finance to withdraw his suggestion letter.
A letter by a private supplier on the University panel revealed that the Vice Chancellor ordered various home appliance products worth of Rs. 396,000 to Alied Business Products, which is charged to the University’s account by quoting Director Admin who according to letter had endorsed the order of VCs home. However the Director Admin told that no such letter received to the University for Claim but someone intended to malign the Vice Chancellor.
The vice chancellor when contacted for his stance to these allegations, he did not consider appropriate to give his statement but directed his Director Admin Mr. Ajmal Khan to interact. The Director Admin while responding about the salary drawn by the Vice Chancellor gave reference of similar freshly appointment of Dr. Khurshid Khan, Vice Chancellor of Abdul Wali Khan University an inquiry against whose is also already conducted. About the illegal extension to contractual employees including senior positions, Ajmal Khan answered that the rules provide power to Vice Chancellor for hiring and according to him the syndicate approved the extension of those employees. While he declined to comment about the rest of charges, saying that he never knew about such matters. Regarding the audit he denied to say something.