LARKANA: The mediation to settle down a stand-off between the principal and teaching faculty of Government Degree College Larkana failed as both sides remained stuck to their guns on Sunday.

Talks were held in the college between Principal Prof Ghulam Serwar Qureshi and members of the Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association (SPLA), including Prof Asghar Shah, Prof Lal Kalhoro and Prof Mubeen Langah — who represented the faculty — in the presence of the leaders of Shahri Ittehad and those of different political parties.

The faculty members severely criticised the principal for creating disturbance and intentionally insulting them through his henchmen, which the principal denied. He said the core issue was to make the faculty members punctual in lecturing. The issue of peon’s allegedly stopping a faculty member from going out during the classes was resolved after the peon and he himself had gone to the staff members to say sorry over the incident.

The faculty took the stand that the principal had not only ruined the college campus, but also education process.

Instead of amicably resolving the issue, he adopted unethical means to harass the faculty whereas in his presence the college had suffered a lot.

They in their inflexible stand called for removal of the sitting principal. Niaz Abro, president of Shahri Ittehad, told reporters that the faculty had declined to even accept the proposal of conducting referendum where students, staff and parents would cast vote.

If the results went against the principal, he would quit. “We tried our to ensure smooth classes at the institution but unfortunately talks remained inconclusive,” Mr Abro said.

The principal told reporters that he honoured the sincere move of Shahri Ittehad for talks. He said those violating the rules if attempted to spoil the academic atmosphere would definitely face action.

Published in Dawn, February 15th, 2016