LAHORE - One of the two foreign professors subjected to action by the GCU VC has come out to explain his side of the story, and termed the VC’s action as “defying logic”.
Reports said Prof Dr Zahid Mahmood had been relieved of his position as Head of Department of Clinical Psychology, after he had held that post for the last seven years.
Dr Zahid Mahmood however insisted that contrary to the reports, he has not been removed from the GC University, but only as Head of a Department.
Dr Mahmood, trained as a clinical psychologist got a PhD from London University and worked in the National Health Service for nearly 15 years in London and 25 years in Scotland, said: “I decided to move back to Pakistan, to fulfil my old dream of raising the level and the quality of training of Clinical Psychologists in Pakistan.”
“In the last seven years I have trained in the new programme nearly 100 clinical psychologists with MS degree passed through the course and another 40 in training.
Under my supervision, 120 clinical researches, eight dissertations and nearly 1,000 case studies have been produced over the past five years.”
 “Currently there are 5 scholars engaged in PhD programme in the Department under my supervision. One completed her PhD last year and other two will finish this year. I am author of more than 32 publications in national and international journals,” said Dr Mahmood.
Asked if he had achieved all this in such a short time, why he was removed as departmental head and replaced by a junior, associate professor,” Dr Mahmood said, “Frankly, the whole saga defies logic. In this society there are parallel systems running, one follows the path of rules, regulations and rationality and the other is swayed by whims and personal choices and people alternate between the two when convenient.”
Dr Mahmood was asked if a serious complaint had ever been made against him, he said, “Not to my knowledge, nor any negative report about me has ever gone to the HEC.”