KARACHI: HEC move to freeze funds of universities condemned: Black day on 15th
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, May 8: Teachers of the public sector universities in Sindh will observe black day on May 15 to protest against what they said the threatening posture of the Higher Education Commission against the sovereignty of their varsities.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, the office-bearers of the Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Associations, Sindh chapter, said that the latest stance of the HEC in regard to appointment and promotions of 27 non-PhD teachers of three universities to the positions of associate professors and professors was illogical and against the norms and system of governance meant for the public sector institutions of higher education.
Disclosing the details of the association’s meeting held at Karachi University, FAPUASA Central President Sarwar Nasim and Provincial President Dr Ghaus Bakhsh Khaskheli said that the latest move of HEC against three reputed universities of Sindh was discussed at the meeting.
It was felt that the move was aimed at defaming the universities of the province.
They said that the HEC declared a war against the universities when its certain officials chose to go to press before execution of any plan to say that development funds of Karachi University, NED University of Engineering and Technology and Sindh University had been frozen by the HEC, as the universities violated eligibility criteria set for certain appointments.
They said that it was extremely offending to the autonomy of the universities.
The office-bearers said that HEC’s criteria and guidelines needed to be approved or adopted by the statuary bodies of the respective universities prior to their implementation.
However, irony was that in attempts to pressurise the universities, the HEC bigwigs forgot that they were asking the universities to implement the directives with retrospective effect and that too from the dates when HEC did not exist at all, they added.
They informed the newsmen that appointments and promotions were made in line with the existing University Act and with the consent of bodies concerned.
Therefore, they said, HEC’s threat of freezing the funds and asking the vice-chancellors to withdraw the promotions was nothing but to undermine the roles of universities and their statutory bodies and controlling authorities as well.
Sarwar Nasim, who is also the President of Karachi University Teachers’ Society, said that teachers wanted that the HEC guidelines be adhered to only when those were given any legal status by the universities.
The promotions in question had been made in line with the university statutes and the criteria set by the defunct University Grants Commission, and therefore, teachers would not favour any move aimed at clipping the powers of the universities or rejecting the promotions of teachers, they added.
The leaders, including Ashfaque Essani of Mehran University, Afifa Zarrin of NED university, Dr Aqil Ahmad of Karachi University, Ali Lakho of TandoJam University, Ghulam Asghar and Aga Asad Noor of Sindh University, said that the HEC was observing double standards in the name of “prescribed governance rules”.
They said that instead of demanding a uniform adoption of its guidelines in all public sector universities, the HEC was forcing the selected universities, which were in the forefront against the Model University Ordinance/Act.
Replying to questions, they said that KU vice-chancellor had received a letter issued on May 4 from the HEC, intimating that its development funds would be frozen for not observing prescribed criteria.
They also opined that correspondence received at universities from the HEC bosses on the issue of “old cases of appointments and promotions” appeared contradicting each other.
They questioned the appointment and posting of a non-PhD "national professor" at Karachi University by the HEC which, according to them, was made without taking even the vice-chancellor into confidence.
Expressing dissatisfaction over certain moves of HEC, Sarwar Nasim urged President Musharraf to stop the interventions of the HEC into the affairs of varsities and order the Public Accounts Committee to look into the matters pertaining to funding of universities at the HEC’s end, as the teachers' representatives understood that some of the commission officials were biased against the public universities of Sindh, while on the other hand were also "instrumental" in provision of public sector funds to private institutions out of proportion.
The leaders blamed the university administrations for not expediting the cases of appointments and promotions.
However, the delay on the part of university administration did not warrant for any victimisation or harassment of teachers at any stage, they remarked.
The teacher would observe black day, wear black armbands and hold meetings against the HEC. We condemn the HEC for its "policeman-role" in the campuses, said Dr Ghaus Bakhsh.
