Karachi: In support of the Karachi University Teachers Society (Kuts), the Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (Fapuasa) has announced observing a black day and holding protests at public universities across Sindh.
The Kuts protest and boycott of classes has already entered the eighth day. No step has been taken by the provincial government to resolve the issue by holding talks with the teachers.
The teachers’ protest started after Sindh Universities & Boards Secretary Mureed Rahimo nullified the Selection Board for the appointment of professors in three departments of the University of Karachi.
Apart from political parties, other teachers’ bodies like the Sindh Professors & Lecturers Association, the Federal Urdu University Teachers Association and the Sindh University Teachers Association have already announced their support for Kuts.
Fapuasa held a meeting at KU on Tuesday with its Central President Prof Dr Nek Muhammad Shaikh in Chair. It was attended by officials of teachers organisations of public universities of the province. Besides discussing KU issues and other universities, the meeting passed resolutions and adopted action plans.
A press statement issued by Fapuasa said the Sindh government should immediately remove the Universities & Boards Secretary due to his allegedly inappropriate behaviour with teachers, and replace him with a person who is familiar with the rules of Universities.
The meeting resolved that teachers of all public Universities reject the circular through which the secretary demanded that Universities furnish the rules of appointment. Fapuasa leaders demanded that universities be allowed to function in accordance with the laws passed by the Provincial Assembly. They also demanded that the Pending Selection Boards of all Government Universities, including KU and the Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur, be convened immediately.
They said the infrastructure of most of the Public Universities is not in a good condition. Due to the financial crunch, it is becoming difficult to run the daily affairs, resulting in the Universities being forced to increase the fee.
The Provincial Government must provide as agreed the grants to universities immediately and increase the allocated grants. Fapuasa leaders were of the view that permanent Vice Chancellors should be appointed in all universities .
They condemned the “unwarranted interference” of the anti-corruption department in the Sindh University, and the “harassment of teachers”, demanding that the government must stop “blackmailing through the department”.
They said that like all the universities in Sindh, the NED University should also adopt a three-year rotation policy for Professors and Associate Professors taking over the positions of Chairpersons and Directors.
They demanded that the “forcible” transfer orders of Asghar Ali Chandio of the Quaid-e-Awam University Nawabshah be cancelled and his withheld salary be released.
