Karachi:A former vice chancellor of NED University of Engineering and Technology has been waiting to get his pension for the last 16 years because of bureaucratic hiccups and alleged malice.

Talking to The News on Thursday, Professor Dr Mohammad Munir Hasan, who now teaches at Bahria University, Karachi, said he had 45 years of experience in teaching, research and administration, including experience in colour service in the corps of EME (Army).

Besides having first-class educational achievements in his career, he is a pioneer of biomedical engineering education and research in Pakistan. He did his BSc Engg (Electrical) from the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, in 1964; MSc from University of Nottingham, in 1975 UK; and PhD from University of Sheffield, UK, in 1981.

In an appeal addressed to Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, a copy of which is available with The News, he maintained that he retired in 1994 as the vice chancellor of the NED University but is still waiting for his pension. “The sitting vice chancellor and the registrar have made the date of my retirement an issue,” he said.

“To decide the date of my retirement, the syndicate of the university in its 100th meeting held on May 8, and May 22, 1996, passed a resolution No. SYN-100.4, which reads as follows: ‘Resolved that a committee comprising the following members of the syndicate be constituted to look into the matter and compile its recommendations for placing before the syndicate for its consideration and decision: 1) Mr. Justice Amanullah Abbasi Convenor; Maulana Amjad Thanvi-Member; Mehtab Akbar Rashidi-Member; Engr. Abdul AzimKhan-Member; and Syed Muzaffar Ali Shah-Member. It was also decided that the committee may invite any present or previous member of the syndicate or any other officer of the University for establishing the facts.’ Although the matter of deciding the date of my retirement could have easily been resolved, but in order to harm me financially, the meeting has never been called during the last 16 years, on one pretext or the other,” the letter reads.

The letter further states: “On March 15, 2007, I wrote to the Governor of Sindh, who is also the chancellor of the university, and requested him to kindly look into this matter and pass orders to the NED University for the payment of my pension. The registrar of NED University replied vide letter No. Dr (Estb)/ (PF-192)/ Vol-V/8611, dated August 15, 2007, which was full of misstatements, unrelated and distorted stories.”

“On August 25, 2007, I sent para-wise comments on the response of the registrar of NED University to the Governor of Sindh. Then I received another letter from the NED University No. DR(Estb) /(PF-192) Vol-V/11789, dated November 21, 2007, in which NED University offered me to accept its personal decision about the date of my retirement.”

“In my reply to NED University dated November 27, 2007, I made it clear to the registrar that after the decision of the syndicate vide Resolution No. Syn-100.4, all actions, including sending letters to me are in violation of this resolution and illegal and ultra vires.”

“I wrote to the registrar of NED University that under the circumstances, I could not accept his personal decision against the decision of the syndicate and that the only course of action open to him was to take my case back to the syndicate with reference to resolution No. Syn. 100.4 and admit fault in not calling the syndicate’s committee meeting for such a long time.

“On May 27, 2008 I wrote to the members of the syndicate of the university in detail with reference to my case, requesting all of them to raise this issue in the next meeting of the syndicate. However, not a single member dared to ask the vice chancellor of his illegal action in deciding the date of my retirement.”

“The above facts clearly show how the sitting vice chancellor of NED University has been behaving illegally. He is biased against me because once in 1998, I had informed the worthy vice chancellor about his illegal actions/decisions in running day to day affairs of NED University, Karachi.”

“In revenge, it was the deliberate attempt of vice chancellor not to call the meeting of the syndicate’s committee so that he could personally deal with my case, distort and twist the facts in deciding the case of my pension and harm me intentionally. He thinks that nobody is in a position to take any notice of his illegal actions.

“I pray to the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, to kindly take suo moto notice and pass orders to the concerned authorities to release the entire amount of my pension, after hearing my legitimate grievances and without any further delay of time.”The news