My name is Rizwan Ali, and I am a resident of Jhang District. I have done MSc (Honours) in Agricultural Engineering.
In May 2019, Assistant Controller of Examination Vacancies opened at the University of Jhang, for which I applied. The test was held on November 7, 2021, in which I scored 75/100 and stood first out of 203 candidates. After that, the selection board conducted my interview on February 9, 2022, in which I got selected.
The agenda then went to the Syndicate Committee headed by the then-higher education minister Raja Yasir Humayun of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). After which, three meetings of the Syndicate Committee were held, and thereafter, the minister called a meeting at short notice in which most of the members of the committee were not present. During the meeting, the minister terminated the entire selection process by raising the objection that the appointment was delayed.
It is pertinent to mention here that the minister did all this only because of political animosity. At that time, the member of the Punjab Assembly (MPA) from Jhang City was Muawiya Azam, and he voted for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hamza Shehbaz in the no-confidence motion against then-prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan. He invited Governor Balighur Rehman to the inauguration programme of the university, due to which the minister got angry and declared the entire procedure erroneous.
Within the next 72 hours after the inauguration programme, Muawiya Azam was expelled from the Syndicate Committee by then-Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, and another PTI lawmaker, Rana Shehbaz, was made a member of the Syndicate Committee. It's all on record.
The university administration attributes the delay to COVID-19 and the merger of the Women's University campus with the University of Jhang. Whatever the reason, what is the ‘crime’ of the candidate?
After that, we submitted an appeal to the governor, who is the chancellor of all the universities in Punjab. On June 9, 2023, our first hearing was held in front of the Governor, in which HEC Chairman Prof. Dr. Shahid Munir and Vice Chancellor of the University of Jhang Dr. Nabila Rehman were also present.
After proceedings, the governor remarked in my favour. But it has been five months, and no decision has come from the governor's office.
I scored first place in the test and cleared the interview, and there is also no issue with my degrees. First, the minister cancelled my appointment because of politics; now the governor is delaying the process despite knowing all the facts. Whenever I call, I get a reply that the governor is busy and a decision will be taken next week.
I request that Governor Punjab Balighur Rehman pay attention to this matter and convey our legitimate rights to us.