KARACHI: The Karachi University Teachers Society (Kuts) in its general body meeting held on Wednesday strongly criticised continued government interference in public sector universities through ‘illegal’ administrative appointments and resolved to resist any such intervention by the government in Karachi University (KU)

They also demanded withdrawal of controversial amendments to the Sindh Universities Act passed in 2013. The well-attended meeting was held in the arts auditorium.

According to sources, the teachers’ body unanimously denounced recent administrative appointments at various universities, which, they said, were directly made by the chief minister secretariat and was against the autonomous status of universities.

These appointments and advertisements for various administrative posts, they said, were in violation of the agreement signed between the government and representative body of teachers (Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association) last year.

Teacher representatives, they said, saw these measures as attempts by the political government to control the remaining resources of academic institutions.

“In spite of the fact that the provincial government has half of the seats in the executive body of universities (syndicate) and also represented on the selection board of universities, it is still making attempts to take powers for direct appointments. This exposes the real intentions of the provincial government bent upon destroying the autonomous status of universities. This had never been an objective of the 18th amendment,” a press release quotes Dr Shakeel Farooqi heading the Kuts as saying.

It further states that the society is hosting a convention of teachers representing all public sector universities of Sindh on February 18 in Karachi.

The programme also to be participated by university teachers from other provinces will plan a strategy to pressurise the government to withdraw controversial amendments to the Sindh Universities Laws (Amendment) Act 2013.

The Kuts meeting expressed dismay over the KU health care policy and demanded that the university administration provide full health care coverage.

They also raised concerns over the medical facilities being offered to teachers and said they were insufficient and the university clinic was neither well equipped nor properly staffed.

Some teachers criticised the government-run day-care centre on the campus and said that employees were often found absent and the centre closed.

Members agreed to extend the period of a committee to review the terms and conditions of university benevolent fund and recommended support to those facing severe or terminal illness.

Teachers showed dissatisfaction over the way various centres and institutes were being run on the campus and demanded transparency in the utilisation of their resources.

They also called for appointment of directors (of these institutes and centres) for a term not more than three years in compliance with the university code, holding of regular meetings of their board of governors and public declaration of their audited annual account statements.

The meeting was presided by Kuts president and secretary Moiz Khan. Members of the syndicate Prof Ahmed Qadri, Prof Jameel Kazmi, Prof Haris Shaoib, former-registrar Prof Nasiruddin also spoke.

Published in Dawn, February 11th, 2016