KARACHI: Academic activities remained suspended on Monday at 14 public sector institutions of higher learning, including nine universities and their affiliated campuses where teachers observed a black day against the government’s recent controversial appointments.

The call for protest was given by the Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Asso­cia­­tion (Fapuasa), Sindh chapter.

The institutions where classes were suspended are: Karachi University (KU); NED University of Engineering and Technology; Sindh University (SU) and its campuses in Badin, Mirpurkhas, Dadu and Larkana; Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro, and its campus in Khairpur; Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam; Quaid-i-Awam University of Engineering, Science and Technology, Nawabshah; Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University, Larkana; Shah Abdul Latif University, Khairpur; and Bibi Aseefa Dental College, Larkana.

“We are forced to protest because the government is bent upon destroying the autonomous status of universities by making appointments which are contrary to the commitments it made with university teachers three years ago,” said Dr Irfana Mallah, who heads the Fapuasa’s Sindh chapter and the Sindh University Teachers Association.

The government, she said, had promised the teachers that the controversial Sindh Universities Laws (amendment) Act, 2013 would not be implemented unless it was discussed again in the provincial assembly in the light of the recommendations submitted by university teachers.

“There has been no progress on the matter for three years. In the past couple of months, however, the government has started implementing the act and is yet to respond to the concerns of teachers who have been holding protests against it,” she said. She added that teachers had raised objections to the appointments of pro-vice chancellors at the SU and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University, Larkana, and the registrar at the Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS).

The recent appointment of pro-vice chancellor at the SU had been made without consultation with the vice chancellor and publication of the post in newspapers. Hiring without publicising the post was in violation of a Supreme Court judgement, though it was in line with the controversial act.

“We plan to protest in Islamabad next week and submit our complaint in the National Assembly. The matter will be taken to court and teachers may suspend classes for an indefinite period if we receive no response from the government,” she said.

Meanwhile, teachers held a rally on the KU campus to show solidarity with their colleagues in other public sector universities against the controversial act.

“Teachers are the real stakeholders of universities and they better understand the matters relating to the autonomous status of educational institutions. University autonomy protects it from politics, enables the institution to work under the ambit of the law as well as helps raise the standard of education,” said Karachi University Teachers’ Society president Dr Shakeel Farooqi. He added that teachers would forcefully resist all back-door appointments while addressing teachers in the Arts Lobby.

Classes, however, were held at DUHS and Jinnah Sindh Medical University in Karachi; Liaquat University of Medical Health Sciences, Jamshoro; and People’s University of Medical and Health Sciences, Nawabshah. All these universities are not Fapuasa members.

Published in Dawn, April 19th, 2016