ISLAMABAD - Financial irregularities, unnecessary delay and mismanagement have been observed in 12 development projects being implemented by the Quaid-i-Azam University thus stressing the need for special audit by the Higher Education Commission (HEC). The development projects initiated by the university were the up-gradation & strengthening of QAU phase-I, hostel for visiting faculty, strengthening of national institute of historical and cultural research centre of excellence, development & study of magnetic nanostructures, establishment of National Institute of Vacuum Sciences and Technology, National Center for Bio-Informatics, establishment of 5 MV tandem accelerator at Department of Physics, strengthening of Taxila Institute of Asian Civilisation, upgradation & strengthening of Dr Raziuddin Siddiqui Memorial Library, establishment of Experimental Physics Laboratory, Master Trainers in Physics and Up-gradation of QAU Phase-II. The total cost of these projects were Rs 2182.38 million out of which Rs 1406.83 million were released up to June 2007 but the expenditure remained 1062.516 million which constitute 76 percent of the total release and 49 percent of the total cost. The total release to the university remained Rs 1495.290 million out of which Rs 1196.346 million were spent up to December 2007, which constitutes 80 percent of the total release. The project incharge of various development projects are kept changing frequently and expenditure meant for civil work is being used for other purposes. Accounts are not maintained properly as services of professional accountant are not hired to reconcile the accounts of the projects.    The purchase of equipment and furniture remained delayed and implementation of various projects was poor. It has also been learnt that the releases by the HEC were without observing actual expenditures. The National Institute of Historical & Cultural Research at the university is still under construction though its PC-I had been approved in 1976. Its construction started in 2004 and had to be completed with in two years. The project of "Master Trainers in Physics" was started to train the non-Ph.D faculty of Physics department. Foreign faculty had had to be hired for the training in summer as envisaged in the project but local Ph.Ds were hired to train the non-Ph.D faculty and the project was 24 months delayed.   Scope of work of various projects was being changed without approval and professional officials and Independent Project Directors are rarely hired which has led to mismanagement and delay in the implementation of the projects.