05 January 2004	Monday	12 Ziqa'ad 1424

ISLAMABAD, Jan 4: The Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Associations has constituted a body to review the Model University Ordinance (MUO) and Tenure Track System (TTS), Dr Dushka Syed told Dawn here on Sunday.

The body would comprise Prof Iftikhar Baloch, Prof Mahr Saeed Akhtar, Prof Sohail Barkati, Prof Arbab Khan Afridi, Prof Ali Nawaz Leghari, Prof Abdul Rauf, Engineer Siddique Akbar and Dr Dushka Syed.

In a meeting held in Peshawar on January 2, the federation had said the ordinance and Tenure Track System should be reviewed with the active participation of the faculty.

Dr Syed, who represented Quaid-i-Azam University's Academic Staff Association in the meeting, said the body would submit a report within two months.

She said there was complete consensus among the academic staff associations, representing all public-sector universities, that they would continue to oppose the Higher Education Commission (HEC) until it addressed their concerns regarding the TTS and MUO.

Model University Ordinance 2002 was promulgated by President Gen Musharraf in the last days of the military government. A country-wide protest was launched and the promulgation was termed a step towards privatization of higher education institutions.

Dr Dushka Syed said the HEC was trying to convince vice- chancellors of the federal universities to implement this law. However, keeping in mind the unjustifiable provisions, the faculties of all seven universities had rejected the ordinance.

Talking about TTS, she said this new initiative of the Higher Education Commissionwas equally confusing, and more and more university teachers were opting for the private sector.

During the recently-held meeting, Dr Syed said the federation had now been shifted to the Punjab university with Prof Iftikhar Baloch as its new president.Prof Baloch had assured the participating ASA presidents that a joint decision would be taken regarding TTS and MUO.