KARACHI, July 12: Since all the employees of the universities have been declared civil servants through an amendment to Article 212 of the constitution in 1997, they have no privilege to observe strike, issue statement, interfere in the administrative affairs or put demands, a spokesman for the University of Karachi said on Friday.

Referring to a statement of the university’s teachers’ association, the spokesman said the Civil Service Rules 1973 were modified as a result of the constitutional amendment to Article 212, according to which, he added, employees of all autonomous and semi-autonomous institutions were declared civil servants.

After the amendments, the Sindh Civil Service Conduct Rules also apply to the university employees and the competent authority may take immediate action under the law against any employee.

The Supreme Court has, so far, announced verdicts in 27 cases under Article 212 and detailed point of view of the apex court can be seen on page 1603 of SCMR 1998.

Constitutional amendments and Supreme Court’s verdicts are automatically enforced. The teachers’ association, officers and workers’ association and employees welfare association of the university are bound to abide by the stay order up to July 16 given by Justice Atta-ur-Rehman of the Sindh High Court, as otherwise it will be considered contempt of court, the spokesman added.—PPI