PESHAWAR: Teachers plan series of protests against MUO
By Our Correspondent
PESHAWAR, Dec 17: The newly-elected president of Peshawar University Teachers Association, Arbab Khan Afridi, has said that the teachers’ community would launch a series of protests against the implementation of the Model University Ordinance.
Arbab Khan, who was fielded by the Jamaat-i-Islami backed Tanzeem-i-Aasatiza, defeated his opponent by securing 230 votes against 160 grabbed by Jehanzeb Khan. The election was held last week.
The PUTA president said that the Model University Ordinance would deprive the poor and deserving students of gett-ing higher education in the country.
He said that the teachers’ body would recommend Grade 18 for PhD teachers instead of 17, and the tuition fee for Phd students would be waived and those who complete their PhD courses would get Rs100,000.
Arbab Khan Afridi said that he would take up the issue of Model University Ordinance in the Federation of All Pakistan University Staff Associations (FAPUSA) meeting scheduled to be held in Islamabad on Dec 22.
The Peshawar University Teachers Association had also demonstrated against the Model University Ordinance in a meeting of the Peshawar University Senate, which was presided over by the Chan-cellor, Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah.
The teachers demand the removal of loopholes from the University Act 1974 to bring about improvement in the education system.
They say that there is no need of introducing the Model University Ordinance in the higher educational institutions.
IJT TO OPPOSE MUO: In the meanwhile, the Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT) has vowed to continue protest until the government withdraws the proposed MUO.
The Islami Jamiat Talaba leaders said that the ordinance, if implemented, would deprive the students from their basic and constitutional right to get education.
Waqas Ahmed Khan, president Muttahida Talaba Mahaz (MTM) alleged that the government was bent upon depriving the students from getting educated at government-run institutions at the behest of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF).
