KARACHI: Academic activities were suspended at eight major public sector universities in the province on Wednesday in response to a call for strike given by the Sindh chapter of the Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (Fapuasa).

At Karachi University (KU) teachers addressed a press conference after boycott of classes to vent anger and frustration over prolonged financial crisis the university had been facing and the way the provincial government had been handling affairs at universities.

They warned the government of a ‘strong agitation’ soon after Eid if the government did not release the Rs350m grant it had announced last year for the university.

Listing a number of other demands, teachers, which included the society’s office-bearers as well as members of the university’s statutory bodies, called upon the government to immediately withdraw what they described as ‘unilateral amendments’ to the Sindh Universities Law 2013, and either activate the provincial higher education commission in consultation with senior teachers or abolish the body altogether.

The demands which were put forward to the provincial government included making appointments to all key administrative posts through a selection board, removing retired administrative officers, making regular appointments to all posts including that of the vice chancellor (who was currently working on ad hoc basis), initiating meaningful investigation into financial malpractices on the campus, adopting a uniform policy for teachers and non-teaching staff of all universities, increasing KU grant to Rs1bn and payment of leave encashment to all KU employees before Eid, which, they said, was being paid to staff at other universities.

“This has now become an issue of discrimination against KU. The government must pay leave encashment to all university employees before Eid,” president Kuts Dr Shakeel Farooqi demanded.

The university would be shut if the issues were not addressed, he warned.

“It’s no more possible to continue academic activities in an environment lacking requisite paraphernalia; the university’s physical infrastructure badly needs repair, labs are functioning without a whole set of chemicals and proper equipment while no funds are available to purchase research journals for libraries,” he explained in response to a question.

Teachers also demanded the Higher Education Commission (HEC) increase university grant and pay full salary including the raise announced by the government.

“Presently, the deficit the university faces under the head of staff salaries is Rs800m. In other words, the government only pays eight months’ salaries to KU staff. The rest is to be arranged by the university itself,” he said.

On the autonomous status of universities, he said teachers had been protesting against the controversial amendments for the past three years but to no avail.

It was the assemblies, he observed, which made the universities independent bodies and agreed to have an apolitical dignitary as chancellor (governor) as a representative of the federal government.

“This has been so because a large chunk of university grant comes from the federal government. But, when a political worker or a person perceived as a representative of the establishment becomes the governor and provincial government brings a law that serves its own vested interests, the entire system at universities is ruined, as has been happening,” he noted.

On the role of provincial HEC, it was pointed out that since the Punjab HEC had decided to work with the federal HEC, Sindh was now left alone.

Meanwhile, vice president of the Fapuasa-centre Dr Kalimullah Bareech supported the Kuts stance. “We support all universities of Sindh in their struggle and demand the government and the HEC address their concerns. Otherwise a nationwide strike will be observed at universities,” he said.

HYDERABAD: Teachers and non-teaching staff boycotted academic activities the Sindh University in response to the Sindh chapter of Fapuasa’s call. The protest was later joined by the Sindh Universities Officers Federation as well.

Academic and non-academic staff boycotted work and participated in a demonstration which was led by Fapuasa’s Sindh chapter president Dr Shahnawaz Talpur along with the federation’s provincial general secretary Dr Farid Ahmed Memon and others.

The leaders said that amendments suggested by Fapuasa should be made part of the law and opposed interference by Sindh government and Higher Education Commission (HEC) in the universities’ affairs.

They demanded that all appointments in the universities should be made in accordance with the procedure laid down in the universities’ regulations.

The Mehran University Officers’ Welfare Association also claimed in a statement that officers and staff boycotted work in protest against appointment of retirees to administrative positions.

They demanded removal of such officers and staged a sit-in.

Later, the Mehran university employees association also joined the protest, it said.

The protesters’ office-bearers said that Sindh government had appointed registrar of Mehran University in violation of set procedure.

Published in Dawn September 1st, 2016