Karachi: Pakistan’s Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik was conferred an honorary doctorate degree by the University of Karachi (KU) at a special convocation held at Governor House on Tuesday.
Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan, who is also the chancellor of the university, conferred the degree on Rehman Malik in recognition of his “matchless services to the country in the war on terror and particularly in restoring peace to Karachi.”
The ceremony was also attended by Vice Chancellor of University of Karachi Dr Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui and Pro-Vice Chancellor Dr Shahana Urooj Kazmi.
Meanwhile, President, Karachi University Teachers Society (Kuts), Dr Abid Hasnain, expressed his resentment over the decision. This is the first time ever that the varsity administration has bypassed the syndicate in deciding an honorary degree, he said.
“The executive council of Kuts had condemned the decision in its meeting on October 8 and there is no division among the various groups of teachers in this regard,” added Dr Hasnain.
According to him, if the chancellor and vice chancellor had to act in their personal capacity, the syndicate and its meetings have become useless. He said that a syndicate meeting has not been called since March as elections were to be held to decide on members. “During that period, the vice chancellor took all the decisions in his personal capacity, which is not appropriate. Now, all such decisions will be placed as reported items at the next syndicate meeting for approval by the members.”
Dr Shakeel Farooqui, the general secretary of Kuts and president of the Karachi University Teachers Guild, was more vocal. He described the award of the honorary degree as ‘shab-i-khoon’ on the authority of the statutory bodies of the varsity.
“It cannot be a one-man decision, neither the chancellor nor the vice chancellor can decide on conferring an honorary degree on their own,” added Dr Farooqui.
“To follow a legality, this decision of the vice chancellor needs to be endorsed by members of the syndicate. But at the next meeting, the syndicate members will not approve it and then this will be more embarrassing for the authorities,” warned Dr Farooqui. He also made it clear that the decision was against the will of a vast majority of faculty members.
This is not the first time KU has awarded an honorary doctorate degree. In the 1990s the syndicate awarded one to Admiral Mansoorul Haq, who was allegedly involved in corruption, and faced charges by the then National Accountability Bureau.
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