KARACHI, May 10: The Sindh Professors and Lecturers’ Association (SPLA) on Tuesday appealed to the Sindh chief minister, Chief Secretary Fazlur Rahman, Education Minister Dr Hamida Khuhro, Secretary Education Hashim Laghari and City Nazim Niamatullah Khan to shift all teachers and students of denationalized colleges to government-owned buildings on pattern of the F.C College, Lahore.

In a letter addressed to city and provincial high-ups, the SPLA office-bearers said neither teachers nor students wanted to continue their jobs and education under Christian missionaries while denationalization of St. Joseph’s and St. Patrick’s colleges would also jeopardize promotions of teachers.

Meanwhile, the SPLA office-bearers Prof Manzoor Chishti, Prof Riaz Ahsan and others visited different city colleges and apprised students and teachers of consequences of denationalization of the government colleges.

Condemning the denationalization of St. Joseph’s and St. Patrick’s colleges they vowed to observe province-wide strike on May 11 against the said decision.

Meanwhile, the Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT) supporting teachers strike call, given against the denationalization of St. Joseph’s College for Women and the St Patrick’s College by the Sindh government, vowed that students and teachers would continue struggle against anti-education acts of the government.

In a statement issued here on Tuesday, IJT General-Secretary Taufeequddin Siddiqui condemned the denationalization of St. Joseph’s College for Women and the St Patrick’s College and termed it “unjust and unfair act of the government against students and the people of the city.”

He said that due to the privatization of colleges the gap between haves and haves-not would increase further and demanded of the government to withdraw the decision of denationalization. — PPI