KIU academics accuse VC of violating university rules, mismanagement

GILGIT: The Karakoram International University (KIU) Academic Staff Association (ASA) has leveled serious allegations against Vice-Chancellor Dr Attaullah Shah, accusing him and key administrative officials of disregarding the KIU Order 2008 and running the institution based on personal preferences.

In a conversation with HUM News English, a member of the university senate, Dr Iftikhar Ali, along with other ASA members, said that the vice-chancellor has centralised power in his office, bypassing legal and administrative protocols. “This unlawful governance has led to the dismantling of institutional rules, threatening merit and transparency within the university,” they remarked.

The ASA alleged that critical positions, including those of Deans, have remained vacant for over a year, crippling both academic and administrative operations. They demanded immediate action from the university senate to appoint deans and fill departmental vacancies.

Furthermore, the ASA accused the administration of halting faculty promotions for the past 21 years, despite faculty members meeting all necessary requirements. In contrast, they claimed, the Vice Chancellor’s favored individuals were promoted from associate professor to full professor within a short span of four years.

They pointed out that key governing bodies, such as the senate and syndicate, have been inactive. According to the rules, it is mandatory to appoint four external members to the syndicate to act as a bridge between the university and the government. However, external members have never been appointed, leading to a lack of trust and support from the government. “Since the chairman of the senate was elected, no meetings have been convened in the last one and a half years, which is a clear violation of Section 16(5) of the KIU Order, requiring at least two meetings annually,” they added.

The ASA raised concerns about the university’s financial governance, claiming that departmental heads lack access to budgetary details and that no audit reports have been shared to date. Dr. Iftikhar cited an example where a university staff member had to file a Right to Information (RTI) request in Islamabad to obtain budget documents.

Dr. Iftikhar alleged that an auditor sent by the Punjab government last year, as required by law, identified serious discrepancies and irregularities. However, instead of addressing the findings, the Vice Chancellor allegedly repatriated the auditor’s services back to Punjab without taking any action. The ASA also revealed that the university has been without a treasurer for the last six years, which has further exacerbated irregularities in financial management.

They expressed concerns about the Vice Chancellor’s legal maneuvers, claiming that he sought a Gilgit court order to prevent regional courts from hearing matters related to the university, limiting such cases to the Federal Service Tribunal in Islamabad. When university staff challenged this ruling, the Vice Chancellor reportedly escalated the matter to the Supreme Court of Pakistan to block the appeal.

“The university is at a critical juncture, and immediate steps must be taken to uphold its governance, maintain compliance with legal statutes, and safeguard its academic and administrative integrity,” emphasized the academic staff.

The ASA warned that ongoing unrest among faculty and students threatens to destabilize the institution and called for urgent intervention to restore transparency and academic harmony.

When HUM News English reached out to the Vice Chancellor for comments, he was unavailable at his office. However, his personal assistant responded, stating that the Vice Chancellor had not issued any instructions regarding a reaction to these allegations.