PU Syndicate reprieve for Gilani’s son

LAHORE: The Punjab University Syndicate meeting on Saturday granted ex post facto permission for re-consideration of appeal of Syed Abdul Qadir Gilani, son of former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, regarding restoration of his BA result quashed owing to unfair means case. Mr Qadir Gilani’s degree case was brought before the Syndicate as a current work instead of a regular agenda item. The meeting was presided over by PU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran. According to a PU spokesman’s news release issued through his unofficial email address, the Syndicate also granted ex post facto approval to Independent Disciplinary Committee, constituted in 2010, and its recommendations. The committee was constituted to hear appeals of candidates against the decisions of Unfair Means Cases Committee. The Syndicate also gave approval for holding a new inquiry into Gilani’s case to review other allegations. Interestingly, Qadir Gilani’s degree case is also being investigated by the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE), referred by the Federal Investigation Agency, and it is quizzing VC Prof Kamran after permission from Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. The ACE is also quizzing PU Controller of Examinations Prof Dr Liaquat Ali, who is also a Syndicate member. The spokesman said the PU Syndicate also forcibly retired Institute of Chemistry’s Professor Dr Zaid Mahmood from service after hearing him personally as the charges of plagiarism against him in two of his research articles were proved true after detailed discussion. The spokesman said Prof Mahmood’s plagiarism case was discussed at length in the last five meetings of the Syndicate and it had decided to serve show-cause notice on him under PEEDA Act. He said Prof Mahmood was granted opportunity of personal hearing in Saturday’s meeting but he could not defend his case. The spokesman stated that in 2011, a professor of Institute of Chemistry (Prof Dr Makshoof Athar) had filed complaint against Prof Mahmood alleging that he had plagiarised two research articles. He stated that an inquiry committee comprising Lahore College for Women University chemistry department’s chairperson Dr Bushra, DPI (Colleges), Punjab, Dr Jaleel and former PU Additional Registrar Prof Dr Aurangzeb Alamgir compared original sources and Prof Mahmood’s research papers and found that most of the material was plagiarised. Prof Mahmood had himself produced the plagiarism evaluation report prepared by the PU Main Library using software “Turnitin” that identified 15pc and 11pc similarity index that was within the acceptable limits circulated by the Higher Education Commission. The Syndicate had issued him a fresh show-cause notice on the direction of the Lahore High Court but did not constitute a committee to inquire into the case. Prof Mahmood stated in his reply that he had never got any benefit or credit for both of his allegedly plagiarised research articles. It is learnt that Syndicate member Dr Asmatullah contested that the Syndicate should take drastic decision only after refuting Prof Mahmood’s reply contents one by one. However, the Syndicate did not consider its member’s contention and allowed him to submit his note of dissent in writing. Prof Mahmood told Dawn that nobody gave him any evidence against his plagiarism charges to contest. He said the PU Syndicate’s Feb 1 meeting had decided that a fresh show-cause notice would be issued to him on the direction of the Lahore High Court because the Punjab University had disowned its earlier notice. Still, he said, it was strange that the PU had considered the report of the inquiry committee. He said he would move court against the “injustice committed by the Syndicate.” Higher Education Commission Executive Director Prof Dr Mukhtar Ahmed said some vice chancellors had become self-centered and disowned HEC’s policies to serve their purpose. He was responding to a question about the HEC Plagiarism Policy implementation in the Punjab University. The Syndicate also approved the vice chancellor’s 17 orders issued using his anticipatory powers under section 15(3) of the PU Act 1973; recommendations of the Finance and Planning Committee; Academic Council. The Syndicate also looked into the request of Institute of Applied Psychology Director Prof Dr Rukhsana Kausar, who regretted to act as chairperson for committee constituted for conducting regular inquiry against PU Law College lecturer Khujista Rehan for not taking her classes and using abusive language. The Syndicate approved the request and replaced her with PU Faculty of Arts and Humanities Dean Prof Dr Massarrat Abid.