KARACHI, Oct 8: A joint meeting of the Karachi University Teachers’ Society, KU Officers’ Welfare Association and KU Employees Welfare Association, on Wednesday strongly condemned incidents of violence against varsity staff by a student group, and decided to adopt a joint strategy to combat the situation.

The meeting was called after a varsity teacher Dr Wasimuddin, working as Convener of KU Transport Committee, along with another employee Mehmood Alam, was allegedly beaten up by the activists of the All Pakistan Mohajir Students Organisation (APMSO), day before yesterday.

Office-bearers of all three associations told newsmen after the meeting that incidents of violence against teachers, officers and employees, at the hands of the APMSO activists, were on the rise and the KU staff was being humiliated for not bowing before group’s illegal demands.

Initially, the highups patronizing the APMSO would be approached, both in Karachi and London, to direct students to stop humiliating and torturing teachers and other varsity staff, a KUTS office-bearer said and added that if violence did not stop, extreme measures would be taken against students’ group.

Representatives of the KU teachers, officers and employees, alleging that the activists of the APMSO had not even spared the KU vice-chancellor Dr Zafar Saeed Saify said: “A few days back, abusive language was used against VC, KU, Dr Saify, in his office by activists of the APMSO.”

They further alleged that director, Pakistan Study Centre, Dr Jaffer Ahmed, was pulled out from the class by the APMSO activists and humiliated in front of students.

Chairman of Department of Urdu, Dr Moinuddin Aqeel, was manhandled and threatened by APMSO activists for revamping the department, they added.

Activists of same group also subjected two employees of KU Registrar office, varsity’s chief accountant and electrical engineer to violence, they alleged and said if political interference into varsity’s affairs was not stopped, they would be compelled to go on strike.—PPI