KARACHI, Sept 12: A general body meeting of the Karachi University Teachers Society on Thursday insisted on the removal of the vice chancellor and rejected the syndicate meeting, convened by Dr Zafar Saied Saify on Sept 14.

The meeting has been convened by the VC on the intervention of the chancellor’s secretariat, with directives to the VC to resolve the issues that led to the suspension of academic activities on the campus.

The teachers were, however, not happy with the measures taken by the Governor’s House to improve the situation on the campus.

The proposed actions or confidence measures suggested by the chancellor’s secretariat recently with regard to teacher-administration stand-off were, in fact, cosmetic, said the teachers.

The KUTS meeting resolved that members of the syndicate coming from outside the university would also be apprised on Saturday about the state of affairs prevailing on the campus, and requested them to boycott the forthcoming meeting or to ensure that the statutory body meets under the chairmanship of a person other than the vice chancellor.

Till evening, there was no indication about any administrative actions taken, if any, in line with the reported directives of the governor house.

The VC was asked by the chancellor’s office a couple of days back to withdraw his orders regarding forced retirement of a senior KU teacher, take the faculty into confidence and resolve the issues amicably.

Meanwhile, the registrar of the university through a circular signed on Sept 12, informed all concerned that teaching departments would remain closed, both for students and staff on Sept 12 to 14.

The circular, however, remained silent whether teachers and staff would come to the university for their job or not. A circular issued recently by the KU administration stated that teaching activities would remain suspended till Sept 14.

However, teachers and non-teaching staff held their separate general body meetings on the prevailing unrest on the campus and “unjustified and ill-advised measures by the administration.

The teacher’s society general body, which met with Dr Reaz Ahmad, the vice president, in the chair, among others, was also addressed by a senior leader of the Sindh Professors and Lecturers’ Association, Prof Riaz Ahsan.

The representatives of the teachers, Sarwar Nasim, Prof Suhail Barkati and Abdul Qadeer apprised the meetings about their talks with the high officials of the governor’s secretariat on Sept 10 and also criticized the role of their body’s president who had gone to the Governor House, with the university’s VC.

The KUTS secretary, Sarwar Nasim, said though teachers were given a patience hearing at the high-level Sept 10 meeting at the Governor’s House, the demand pertaining to the removal of the sitting VC was still on the top of KUTS agenda and teachers would not retreat at any cost.

A member of the KU Syndicate, Prof Suhail Barkati, said that at their meeting at the Governor’s House, Brig Akhtar Zamin was informed that Dr Saify was unable to run the administrative affairs by himself, and was relying on his registrar and two deputy registrars and one member of the syndicate, Naseer Turabi, who planned and prepared all arbitrary and unjust actions against teachers, non-teaching staff and students.

He also regretted that despite the prolonged protests and a hue and cry raised by concerned quarters, the chancellor’s secretariat did not take any action on its own and waited for the time till the Nazim sought the intervention of the governor.

He said he was delivered an agenda of the syndicate meeting, comprising 10 items that could never be termed issues emergent in nature.

He said issues pertaining to Prof Pervez Siddiqui, or any other staff have not been addressed in the agenda nor there was any item seeking any advise on the prevailing chaotic and unsecured environment on the campus.

He said since the VC had lost his confidence and had become a controversial figure, it would be inappropriate to hold any meeting of the syndicate under his chairmanship.

He said any further restrictions on teachers, students and non-teaching staff by KU administration would be defied.

Majid Mumtaz said attempts were being made to cause disunity in the ranks and file of the KU teachers, but all such attempts would be foiled as teachers were firm that the removal of the present VC and his administrative team was the only solution to the problems on the campus.

The SPLA chief, Prof Riaz Ahsan, expressed solidarity with KU teachers, staff and students on behalf of the college teachers and assured them of full support.

Other who spoke on the occasion, included Dr Abdul Qadeer, Nasir Khan, S. M. Taha.

The general body reiterated demand for removal of vice chancellor and decided to reassemble on Sept 14 at 1 pm to express its indignation over the holding of KU syndicate meeting, without any reference to the prevailing situation on the campus.