Hoodbhoy v/s LUMS

[Shero]

Re: Hoodbhoy v/s LUMS

@kakaballi

There is a petition doing rounds on social media encouraging people to voice their opinion against LUMS firing Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy. So the story is something like this:

LUMS gave a one year contract to Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy to teach Physics in School of Science and Engineering. One year later, LUMS refuses to renew the contract.

Hoodbhoy and his fans are furious. Reasons:

Dr PH claims that he was ‘fired’ because of his liberal views where were hard to swallow for conservative mullahs of LUMS. He also claimed that he was not given the ‘true’ reason for his dismissal and the reasons provided by LUMS administration are to cover up the truth. LUMS is pro-establishment and hence does not like people like Dr. PH.

LUMS response:

Not official, but Hoodbhoy’s letter to the VC of university was somehow leaked and the university seems to have given following reasons for not extending his contract:

“…a) That you (PH) have “too much on your plate” and your primary mission “seems to be to fix the world”;
b) That I have not helped in recruiting new faculty;
c) That I have not helped the physics chairman in his duties;
d) That I have not mentored the younger faculty…”

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The two positions can be gleamed from:

Jamia Salafia Deobandia LUMS fires Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy*|*LUBP
The Pervez Hoodbhoy-LUMS dispute – The Express Tribune

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So, the question is whether a private sector university is entitled to do whatever it wants to with its faculty? Or, institutions like LUMS should consider ‘wider social interest’ while making decisions about retention of faculty specially of the caliber of people like Dr. PH? We do not have many learned scholars willing to serve our universities and treating them like this would discourage those who are considering to join academia in Pakistan.

My personal opinion is that LUMS, being a private sector university, has every right not to renew the contract and is not answerable to general public for such action. It is one of few institution in Pakistan largely free from political pressures. If it were a university run with public funds, there might be a case. Those people who are initiating petitions for his reinstatement might consider pressurizing ‘liberal’ government to offer him a position in Punjab University or Karachi University.

I hope they fire this man really very soon he is involved many illegal activities in that campus and if they don’t want to give him more contract its their choice