KARACHI: Speakers at the launchof a book on publicinstitutions` reform spoke of a variety of pressures public servants encounter while leading vital departments, particularly educational institutions and shared how some of them kept their integrity intact and successfully withstood the strains of their high profile jobs.

The book titled `Sarkariidaron ki islah?` (Reforms in public institutions?), authored by Dr AbdulWahab, former vice chancellor of the University of Karachi, and head of the Institute of Business of Administration (IBA) was launched at the Karachi Press Club.

`There are all sorts of pressures a vice chancellor has to suffer in a university,` said Dr Zafar Iqbal, of the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology.

He said that soon after being appointed VC of a university one should be prepared to face a variety of pressures from certain peo-ple including those in the media who would demand money and favours, groups and associations established by students and teachers, bureaucrats in the university and politicians who would demand admissions for their undeserving workers.

`These are just tip of the iceberg. The pressures come from all directions and from all sections of society,` he added.

He said that corruption was rampant in educational institutions where even certain people in banks, students and teachersorganisations were involved in denying funds to universities through admission fee.

`During my first year in office the university had only Rs2.2 million in the head of admission fee.

Then, I made it mandatory to deposit the fee through pay orders and the total rose to a hefty Rs46 million,` he said.

Dr Abdul Wahab, the author, said the universities should be role models and not the reflection of society.

The gravest danger, he said, to an honestpersonleadingany educational institution was threat to his life. `I experienced it when I was director of the IBA,` he said as an organiser exhibited a bottle green shirt with stains of dried blood on its left arm and a tear on its left shoulder.

`It was a near-miss, perhaps my life was needed for the betterment of education,` he added.

He said that pressures came on him from military regimes and democratically-elected leaders alil(e, which he endured without goinginto confrontation yetkeeping his prestige and the IBA intact.

He said that he considered education among essential services, which was why he did not close the IBA even when martial law regime ordered to close everything save essentialservices.

`Despite all sorts of difficult situations, I never allowed the IBA closed during my 22 years at the helm,` he said.

Commissioner Shoaib Siddiqui, who was the chief guest at the book launch, said the book was a must for everyone in the country, especially those who served people.

Brig Muzaffarul Hasan, Abdul Qadir Khanzada and Dost Mohammad Faizi also spoke.

Abdul Jabbar Khan moderated the proceedings.