April 05, 2008	Saturday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 27, 1429

QUETTA, April 4: Teachers of the Balochistan University, whose services were terminated after the promulgation of the controversial Model University Ordinance by the former governor, have demanded their reinstatement within a week and threatened to go on hunger strike from April 10 if their demand is not met.

Addressing a press conference here on Friday, Prof Dr Agha Mohammad Nasir and Prof Zakir Hussain Jadoon said they would initially observe a token hunger strike from April 7.

They alleged that they had been sacked because of their protests against the ordinance. They said that opposition parties had submitted a resolution in the Balochistan Assembly but the session could not be held, reportedly because of ‘lack of quorum’ on the advice of the former governor.

They said that when the teachers started speaking against the ordinance, the vice-chancellor and the university administration threatened them with sacking.

They said Prof Dr Agha Mohammad Nasir, of the Urdu department, had been fired by the vice-chancellor who claimed his doctoral degree was fake.