Accusations of nepotism have surfaced in what is now being called the UoP lecturers’ recruitment controversy, involving the hiring of contract lecturers in the Department of Political Science at the University of Peshawar. The controversy has stirred unease among academic circles and applicants, raising concerns over transparency and fairness in the university’s hiring process.
According to reports, five contract lecturer positions were advertised, attracting over 50 applicants. Of these, 29 candidates—including four PhD and 25 MPhil degree holders—qualified through a rigorous screening test conducted by the Educational Testing and Evaluation Agency (ETEA). Teaching demonstrations for shortlisted candidates were held on April 29 under the supervision of a selection committee chaired by the dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences.
Sources close to the matter allege that the committee recommended the sister of a current department chairperson as the top candidate, bypassing three PhD-qualified candidates and favoring individuals with relatively fewer qualifications and less experience. The UoP lecturers’ recruitment controversy deepened as concerns grew over non-disclosure of quantification scores, which are traditionally prepared by the university’s meeting section and made available to candidates.
Insiders claim the scoring was inconsistent with the university’s own criteria. Despite several attempts, the dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences did not respond to requests for comment. Meanwhile, the university’s spokesperson referred inquiries to the registrar.
Prof. Dr. Yorid Ahsan Zia, UoP’s registrar, confirmed that the final list of selected candidates had not yet reached his office. However, he shared the official quantification system, which includes 40 marks for academic qualifications, five for an MPhil, 10 for a PhD, five for postgraduate-level teaching experience (one mark per year), five for gold medals, and 20 for the screening test and teaching demonstration.
Calls for transparency are growing louder as stakeholders demand a clearer explanation of the scoring breakdown amid the UoP lecturers’ recruitment controversy.
