PESHAWAR: Almost three months after the completion of the tenure of the principal of the historic Edwardes College, the authorities concerned have been unable even to start the process for appointment of his replacement or give him extension.This is happening at a time when allegations of mismanagement, favouritism and academic decline have been made against him. "Edwardes College Peshawar is a private institution and there is no issue of my tenure," said retired Brigadier Nayer Fardows, principal of the college. "The Board of Governors (BoG) has to decide how long I should hold the office," he told The News when reached for his comments.The sources said his tenure ended on December 5, 2018. The situation on the ground is, however, totally different. The position if principal was actually advertised by the Higher Education Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in March 2014. Only two terms and conditions had been clearly mentioned in the advertisement which stated: "The principal shall hold the office on usual terms and conditions for a period not exceeding four years. Attractive and mutually agreed upon pay and package shall be offered in light of experience and qualification."The issuance of the notification by the Higher Education Department is enough to negate the principal's claim that Edwardes College was a private entity. Also, the BoG of the college is headed by the governor of the province and a formal search committee had been formed for the appointment of the principal.On December 5, 2014, the governor's principal secretary issued the notification appointing retired Brig Nayer Fardows as principal of the college. Interestingly, the tenure had not been mentioned in the notification. The notification also stated that emolument and other terms and conditions would be settled later in consultation with the provincial finance department.There have been serious allegations of nepotism in appointments in the college during the last four years. The principal has got his daughter, son and daughter-in-law appointed in the institution.In his telephonic conversation with The News, he confirmed that his daughter, son and daughter-in-law had been appointed in the college, though he insisted that this was done on the basis of their high qualification."My daughter graduated from Cambridge University, son from Oxford University and daughter-in-law is also properly qualified," he argued. He added that his daughter has left the college for doing her PhD abroad. Some reports suggested that the academics of the college have been adversely affected during the last few years.According to sources, nearly 550 students have migrated from the college to other institutions. But the principal flatly declined the allegation, saying that no one had left the college. "If it is true, it would be news for me," he said. He said that the finances of the college have been improved to a major extent after his arrival as principal. His claim was substantiated by a senior member of the college's finance committee and the minutes of the last meeting of the said committee, which showed substantial financial growth of the institution.According to reports, the classes in the evening shift were overcrowded as some small accommodation rooms have been converted into classrooms and students ranging from 68 to 75 were made to sit in a single class. However, the principal also rejected this allegation as baseless and said that there was no issue of over-crowdedness of the classes as they had 3,000 students in both the shifts, which could be easily accommodated in the 68 classrooms of the college.Sources said that the principal also managed to acquire a letter from the Church Mission Society, UK, which is the owner of the college's property, mentioning that he would be caretaker of the property even if he is removed as principal.But the principal claimed that he was the legal attorney of the Church Mission Society, which had nothing to do with his job as principal of the college.
from The News International - National https://ift.tt/2Xy7u08
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