PESHAWAR: Several professors and associate professors of the University of Peshawar (UoP) have been working on important administrative posts since long in violation of law, according to sources.

`It is a violation of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Universities (Amendment) Act 2012 that teachers are serving as administrators,` the sources said, adding that the ultimate suf ferers of this practice were the students as prominent academicians had been occupying the administrative posts.

The academicians occupying administrative posts have been drawing higher salaries by virtue of them being teachers though the salaries of administrators are lower than that of the academicians.

Clause-17A of the KPUA 2012 states that `All administrative positions in universities shall be filled by the administrative officers of the university on regular basis andinno case teachers and ofHcials other than administrative officers shall be posted on these positions.It further says that `In case suitable candidate is not available from amongst the administrative officers, the university shall ensure immediate appointment on such posts in the prescribed manner.

Talking to Dawn, a senior teacher of the university said that all the administrative posts occupied by the academicians were budgetary posts, but the successive vicechancellors of the UoP failed to fill these posts accordingly in the best interest of the students.

`Is there no one in the market to be appointed on the administrative posts currently held by the teachers,` he asked.

He said that the university had also been claiming budget from the Higher Education Commission against the sanctioned posts.

Among the academicians working on the administrative posts Prof Hizbullah of Environmental Sciences Department has been posted as director admissions; Prof Rasheed Khan of Social Work Department as controller examinations; Prof Taj Moharam of Political Science Department as director Distance Education Programme; Prof Alam Khan of Islamiat Department as provost; and Prof Mohammad Iqbal of Statistics Department as director Bureau of Statistics.

Associate Prof Youreed Ahsan Zia of Quaid-i-Azam College of Commerce has been posted as treasurer; Prof SajjadAhmed of Institute of Management Studies as director Quality Enhancement Cell and Assistant Prof Sumeera Fareed of Social Work Department as deputy provost.

The sources said that these academicians had been working on the administrative posts from the last four to six years.

They said that soon after amending the KPUA 2012 on Aug 5, 2016 by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, the Higher E ducation Department had issued a letter to all the public sector universities to implement the amended law in letter and spirit.

`The administrations of a few universities had responded to the HED about compliance of the law,` they said.

When contacted for his comments on the issue, UoP registrar Dr Fazl Hadi said that vice-chancellor Rasool Jan was determined to appoint officers on the administrative posts as soon as possible.

`The post of director admissions has been advertised in newspapers and candidates will appear for interview on Nov 24 and 25,` he said. With completion of the ongoing appointment process, he said, a permanent director (admissions) would resume worl(.

He further said that efforts were being made to appoint competent people on the remaining administrative posts in the best interest of the university.