Contempt inquiry against Shaheed Allah Bux Soomro University’s VC launched

KARACHI: Following the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) investigation, the Sindh High Court (SHC) has launched contempt of court inquiry against Bhai Khan Shar, Acting Vice-Chancellor of Shaheed Allah Bux Soomro University of Art, Design and Heritages Jamshoro.

According to sources, Bhai Khan Shar has caused millions of rupees in damages to the art university for the past last 15 years. He has also made dozens of illegal recruitments, including son and nephew. Informed sources have claimed that Khan Shar, along with his nephew, withdrew varsity’s funds by transferring them into another account.

Contempt of court petition, filed by Abbas Ali Qureshi against Bhai Khan Shar, was heard on February 24. During the hearing, the petitioner said that Bhai Khan Shar, who had joined the university while on deputation, had illegally removed 15 out of 30 persons, which includes two people who moved court against the vice-chancellor.

After hearing the argument, Justice Muhammad Saleem Jesser and Justice Umar Sial of Sindh High Court Circuit Bench Hyderabad said that Bhai Khan Shar did not comply with the court order and illegally removed several persons and ordered him to appear before court on April 7.

According to documents obtained by M.M News, Bhai Khan Shar took leave from Mehran University in 2007 and became the director of Center of Excellence Art and Design (MUET), after which he has not returned to Mehran University till date.

Bhai Khan Shar along with Mehran University Vice-Chancellor and Chairman BOG Center of Excellence Qadeer Rajput issued an advertisement for director and later appointed himself as director in BPS-21.

Later, former Chief Justice Sindh High Court Amir Hani Muslim authored a comprehensive judgment, wherein all out-of-turn promotions, deputations, absorptions and reappointments were declared as illegal and were ordered to return to their original posts. However, Bhai Khan Shar did not return to Mehren University despite the order.

Against the illegal appointment of Bhai Khan Shar, two employees of the Center, Rao Abdul Razzaq Rajput and Ghulam moved Sindh High Court in 2019 as per the decision of the Supreme Court. After which, under Constitutional Petition No. 656/2019 in Sindh High Court Circuit Hyderabad, Justice Salahuddin had ordered NAB to conduct an inquiry.

Later, Justice Adnan Karim had ordered implementation within a month to end out-of-turn promotion and out-of-cadre recruitment. Despite this, Vice-Chancellor Bhai Khan Shar did not comply with the court orders, following which contempt of court notices was issued to the Acting Vice Chancellor on February 24.

The documents further stated that Bhai Khan Shar had retired in 2020. Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah issued a letter that Bhai Khan Sher would continue his services till another director is appointed. According to the Centre’s rules, CM Murad cannot not issue a letter in this regard because the Center of Excellence in Art and Design was a subsidiary of the Federal Ministry of Education.

In July 2020, the Center of Excellence in Art and Design was transformed into Shaheed Allah Bakhsh Soomro University. In September 2020, Murad Ali Shah issued another letter referring to the Shaheed Allah Bakhsh Soomro University Act in which Bhai Khan Shar was appointed acting Vice Chancellor.

According to documents, Bhai Khan recruited 6 persons in Center of Excellence Art and Design in 2007 including Assistant Professor Fazal Elahi Khan, Assistant Professor Ejaz Hussain in Textile Department, Jam Depper in Fine Arts Department, Nizam Dehri and Amjad Talpur as Lecturer, and Shahid Qayyum Memon in the Communication Department.

The recruited individuals had a C or D grades in the respective educational qualification, while according to the rules of Higher Education Commission, for Lecturer or Assistant Professor, one should have first division percentage.

In 2008, Bhai Khan Sher recruited his nephew Asif Ali Shar as a studio attendant. Later in 2012, he was appointed Accountant in BPS-14 through a fake advertisement. Asif Khan Shar was later promoted to Deputy Director Finance (BPS-17).

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah had appointed Bhai Khan Shar as acting vice-chancellor on September 8, 2020, after which the latter could not convene a selection board, form a selection committee, syndicate and senate.

Twice advertisements were issued for the Vice-Chancellor of this university. Inquiry against Bhai Khan Shar started by NAB in 2019 in which the investigation authority revealed that 38 relatives were recruited on several posts.