MULTAN: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has asked the Higher Education Department secretary to look into the case of an unlawful appointment in the International Relations department of the Bahauddin Zakariya University.

In a letter, CM office deputy secretary (social sector) Ahmer Nike stated that `the chief minister is pleased to desire that necessary action may please be taken in letter and spirit under intimation to this office at the earliest.

The application was submitted by Dr Omer Farooq Zain, former chairman of the BZU Department of International Relations, against the eligibility of Muqarrab Akbar who was first appointed as assistant professor, then associate professor and is now being considered for selection for the post of of professor.

In his application, Dr Zain stated that the post of professor advertised on March 24, 2017 requires PhD in IR but Dr Akbar holds a PhD in international law and does not have mandatory 15 years experience.

He said Dr Akbar claims 16 research publications for the post of professor but he has only 10articles published.

He said when Dr Akbar was appointed associate professor in 2016, he claimed 13 research papers but he had only nine articles against the required tally of 10.

He said Dr Akbar had done PhD in the subject of international law while the requirement was PhD in political science for the post of associate professor.

He claimed that the Auditor General of Punjab office while auditing the accounts of BZU for the 2014-15 fiscal had objected to the illegal appointment of Dr Akbar as assistant professor. He said Dr Akbar was awarded PhD on July 1, 2015 but was appointed as assistant professor on March 2, 2015.

Dr Akbar said the date of convocation was mentioned on his degree but in fact he completed his degree on the day when he had submitted his thesis in December 2014.

He said that his viva was conducted in March 2015 while he was awarded degree in the convocadon on June 1, 2015. He claimed having required number of publications.

BZU Registrar Dr Mutahir Iqbal said the HED had not yet approached the university in this matter.

`Nevertheless, the administration will look into the matter.