08 January 2005	Saturday	26 Ziqa'ad 1425

PESHAWAR, Jan 7: The Peshawar University Teachers' Association (PUTA) has announced that it will boycott classes on Saturday against the Peshawar University Teachers' Tenure Track Statutes, 2005, (PUTTTS) .

Taking to Dawn, PUTA president Hamidullah Jan said that a general body meeting of the university's teachers had been called at the Senate Hall to discuss the PUTTTS and devise a line of action to force the government to revoke its decision.

He said that PUTTTS was a ploy to destroy the education system, but warned that the teachers' community was aware of the nefarious designs of the government and would never allow it to play with the education system.

Mr Jan was of the view that the meeting of the selection board was long overdue, but alleged that the government was delaying it to deprive the teachers of their legal rights of promotion.

ISLAMIA COLLEGE: Additional Chief Secretary Mir Laiq Shah has asked students to concentrate on their studies. Speaking at an inaugural ceremony of the renovated botany block of the Islamia College here on Friday, he said students were the assets of the country.

Botany Department chairman Prof Syed Zahir Shah said that earlier the administration had planned to demolish the building, but later an amount of Rs1.3million was allocated for its renovation.

It also saved the historical block and a big chunk of money, which was supposed to be spent on the new building. He asked the government to extend financial assistance to the college for the preservation of its historical building which was constructed in 1913.

Islamia College principal Ajmal Khan said educational institutes were reflective of the national development. Schools, colleges and universities played a major role in the character building of the students and demanded that more resources should be allocated. He said that efforts were afoot to start BA (honours) and postgraduate classes at the college to cater to the growing number of students.