PESHAWAR: Members of the Engineering University Teachers’ Association went on strike on all five campuses of the University of Engineering and Technology Peshawar across the province against the government’s decision to give extension to the university’s vice chancellor, Syed Imtiaz Hussain Gilani.

The teachers had boycotted the classes on all campuses including the main campus in UET Peshawar for the second consecutive day against the extension given to the VC, whose term ended on Jan 27.

“The VC has been given extension for the fourth consecutive terms. He has been working as VC for the last 12 years despite not fulfilling the criteria under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Universities Act 2012,” said EUTA president Dr. Shakoor.

He said the PTI-led provincial government had made drastic changes in the Act claiming they’re done to bring transparency in the affairs of the universities.

Insist extending Gilani’s term a violation of law

Dr. Shakoor however said ironically, most of the amendments made were related to appointment and removal of the VCs along with many other changes affecting the autonomy of the universities.

He said the extension given to Mr. Gilani was in the very violation of the Act.

The EUTA president said under the KP Universities Act, any of three senior most professors, not more than 65 years of age, should be appointed as acting VC once tenure of a VC was complete and until a new one was appointed.

“Mr. Gilani is 68 years old and doesn’t hold any PhD degree or has ever been a professor. Is there no single professor among 300-plus faculty of the university to act as the acting VC?”

Dr. Shakoor said the association rejected the decision of extension to the VC Gilani and termed it “illegal”. He said that teachers demanded that government withdraw this illegal notification and implement the KP Universities Act in letter and spirit.

He said the provincial government was itself violating the Act and it was deplorable.

“If the government cares for improvement of academic environment of varsities, fulltime VCs should be appointed under the procedure given in the Act,” he said.

The EUTA president said the 35-year-old UET was a prestigious institution and therefore, it needed a regular VC.

“A person who is not even a PhD or a professor can not be the head of this institution under the new Act,” he said. Dr. Shakoor said until the government paid heed to the association’s demand of taking back the illegal notification of VC extension, teachers would continue the protest and won’t resume duty.

Published in Dawn, February 3rd, 2016