The Karachi University Teachers Society (KUTS) has postponed a one-day open discussion, titled ‘Issues Related to Higher Education Commission [HEC] of Pakistan Polices’, with HEC Chairman Tariq Banuri as a Guest Speaker. The seminar was to be held on 18/2/2022 at KU’s Chemistry Department auditorium.
Last week, after discussing with KUTS President Prof Dr Shah Ali Ul Qader, some members of the Association’s Seminar Organising Committee had invited the HEC Chief to the event as a Guest Speaker.
But owing to apparent pressure from KU’s high-ups and some influential academics who opposed the reinstatement of the HEC chairman after the Islamabad High Court’s Verdict, the KUTS delayed the Seminar.
“We have postponed the Seminar,” said Dr Qader. “We might hold it next week. This had not been planned earlier but we had talked to the HEC Chairman and invited him for an open discussion. On my request, he accepted the invitation.”
While he did not mention the reason for postponing the event, some KUTS members told The News that an influential Director of KU’s Research Institute pressured them.
They claimed that the Director called KUTS General Secretary Dr Mohsin saying Dr Banuri was his opponent, and his presence at the seminar would be seen as an alliance between the KUTS and the HEC Chief against him, so the KUTS should disassociate itself from the event.
The sources said the Director convinced Dr Mohsin to cancel the seminar, while a number of teachers of the research institute had also contacted Dr Mohsin with the same request. They said after consulting Dr Qader on whether the event should be delayed or cancelled, it was decided to cancel the event.
