KARACHI, Oct 12: Teachers of Federal Urdu University of Arts, Sciences and Technology are finding it hard to discharge their duties peacefully due to the “unprecedented reservations” of their prime statutory body.

Resentment among the teaching faculty is increasing with the passage of time and it would be difficult in future to avert, what teachers call it, “direct action”.

Representatives of teachers at the university say that the authorities are unnecessarily causing confusion about the issue of their status at the university and subsequent promotions and move-overs, while the university ordinance is very much clear on the subject.

An ordinance pertaining to the upgradation of two Urdu colleges in the city and establishment of a federal urdu university, with its headquarters in Islamabad, was issued in November 2002. At that time, the two urdu colleges had a total enrolment of 13,500 students taught by around 230 teachers.

The Urdu Arts College teachers, who had been worried over the issue of promotions due to repeated postponement of the teachers’ selection committee meeting, could not have a sigh of relief even after the establishment of the university.

At present, the existence of 35 college teachers and their due recognition were still in an unfinished state, despite lapse of over 10 months, an aggrieved teacher said.

About the status of the staff of the two upgraded college, the Urdu University ordinance states, “All the persons serving in the(se) colleges in any capacity immediately before the commencement of the ordinance shall, notwithstanding anything contained in any law or terms and conditions of their services, stand transferred for service to the university on terms and conditions as may be prescribed, provided that such terms and conditions shall not be less favourable than the terms and conditions applicable to them before the commencement of the ordinance.”

It was learnt that the matter pertaining to teachers’ status was discussed in the first meeting of the university senate held in April 2003 and it was decided that the matter would be referred to the ministry of law and justice for clarification and legal opinion. However, the ministry returned the university reference with the observation that the case did not fall under its jurisdiction.

Talking about the teachers’ status at present, a teacher of the university said that prior to the upgradation of the two colleges, teachers had been conducting graduate and postgraduate classes under the approval of the University of Karachi. On the other hand, he added, the teachers and employees had been working at the two colleges under the Employees Services Rules 1987 and Employees Pension and Gratuity Rules 1988.

Referring to the precedence on a similar issue, he said that when the Govt Women Arts College of Lahore and the Govt College Lahore were upgraded as university, the teachers of both colleges were also given the status of university teachers. He said that the senate of Federal Urdu University was unnecessarily denying the due status to the Urdu college teachers and using the dilly dally tactics.

Meanwhile, the Higher Education Commission in a letter dated August 19 informed the vice-chancellor of the Urdu University that the ordinance was very clear on the issue of teachers’ status and it would depend on the rules that may be prescribed or made by the body so designated.

As the latest resort to get their long pending grievances eliminated, the teachers’ representative body at the Abdul Haq campus of the university through a resolution decided to mobilize public opinion and apprise the authorities concerned, including the president, education minister and HEC chairman and members of the university senate and legislators in assemblies about the teachers plight and gravity of the situation, stated an office-bearer of the teachers’ association.

He said that teachers had also evolved a protest strategy in order to pressurize the bodies concern. Teachers were contemplating token hunger strikes, till death hunger strike, various meetings and protest demonstrations inviting teachers from other varsities and educational institutions, claimed a source in the association.

Insiders said that the senate was under influence of a senior personality, which reportedly failing to reconcile with some of the teachers, wanted to delay the matter with one pretext or other.

The whole academic development was likely to turn into a case of personal enmity, claimed a source while adding that people at the helm of affairs wanted tendering of resignation by a couple of teachers prior to solution of the problem.

When contacted, the vice-chancellor of the university, Dr Pirzada Qasim, agreed that the delay in the teachers’ matter was surely a cause of concern, both for the university administration and the teachers.

However, he added that the matter had already been placed before the university senate, which was competent enough to take a decision on the issue.

He said that in the latest meeting of university senate held in Islamabad, the senate had once again formed a body to review the matter pertaining to the status of teachers and give recommendations accordingly.