KARACHI, April 24: Teaching activities remained suspended in around 118 colleges in Karachi on Monday as college teachers boycotted academic activities in protest against the killing of a student belonging to the Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT) at the Government Commerce and Economics College a few days back.

The call for boycott of teaching activities in the city colleges was given by the Sindh Professors and Lecturers’ Association (SPLA), which was also enraged over the growing incidents of violence at educational institutes, especially an incident at the Islamia Arts and Commerce College Karachi in which five motorcycles and car of the principal were set on fire.

Teachers held protest meetings in their respective colleges against the growing incidents of violence and condemned the terrorist activities at colleges and vowed to leave no stone unturned for liberating educational institutes from the grip of “terrorists and anti-social elements”.

The protesting teachers demanded an immediate arrest of the culprits involved in the killing of a Government Commerce College’s student Akmal and those who torched the vehicles at the Islamia College and also demanded compensation for the vehicles.

The SPLA office-bearers at a meeting held at the D.J Science College announced holding of the SPLA executive council meeting on April 25 at Hyderabad to discuss the prevailing law and order situation at colleges in Karachi and the SPLA’s strategy in this regard. On the occasion, the SPLA office-bearers condemned the growing violence against innocent students and teachers at colleges and deplored that both the city and the Sindh governments were maintaining a mysterious silence over the situation.

Prof Manzoor Hussain Chishti of the SPLA urged political parties to control their student wings and direct them to pay attention towards gaining knowledge instead of resorting to terrorism. The SPLA also demanded to authorise the teachers to play their role in administrative affairs.

Meanwhile, the Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT), which had supported the SPLA’s boycott call, also observed black day against the killing of its worker Syed Akmal Shah at the Government Commerce and Economics College, Karachi. Protest demonstrations were held at educational institutes, which were attended by a large number of IJT workers who chanted slogans against MQM chief Altaf Hussain, Sindh Governor Ishratul Ibad and Home Minister Rauf Siddiqui. They were carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans and demands for the removal of Sindh governor, home minister and arrest of killers belonging to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.—PPI