KARACHI: Disgruntled with the “soft reaction” the Karachi University Teachers’ Society (Kuts) showed towards the recently passed controversial bill on universities, a group of KU staff members set up a Joint Action Committee (JAC) against the legislation on Friday on the campus.

The committee comprising KU teachers, non-teaching employees and representatives of student organisations aims to mobilise people in and outside the university against the bill.

“We are not satisfied with Kuts’ performance and believe that the society representatives didn’t share facts with us. It is unimaginable that they couldn’t get a hint that such a disastrous bill would be presented in the assembly,” Prof Arshad Azmi, part of the committee and convener of the Teachers’ Alliance for Good Governance (Tagg), said.

The university should have been shut down in protest against the anti-education legislation, he added.

Criticising the government, he said: “The performance of Sindh government is no secret and everyone knows the government’s intentions behind this bill, which will affect children of Karachi more. Political interference has already done a lot of damage to the educational institutions.”

Upon contact, Kuts’ convener Prof S.M. Taha denied that “facts were not shared with university teachers” and contended that teachers representing Tagg and Karachi University Teachers Forum had appropriate representation in Kuts, who were all well-informed about the outcomes of the teachers’ meetings with government officials.

“Some of us knew that a bill was coming but were unaware about the bill’s details,” he insisted, adding that the society had no objection over the committee set up by its “friends”.

“Our position is very clear. We want to work with our friends in other universities represented by Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association-Sindh chapter.

“The association is meeting on 19th in Islamabad over this issue. We have started meeting lawyers and civil society members as well,” he said, adding that the society wouldn’t let this issue die down and lead a sustained struggle for the cause.

It may be recalled that the Sindh Assembly recently passed the Sindh Universities and Institutes Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2018 through which acts of 24 universities had been amended.

The bill, yet to be approved by the governor in his capacity as chancellor, not only shifts his powers to the chief minister and leaves him with a ceremonial role, it also takes away institutional powers and nullifies the independent role of university syndicate and academic council.

Under this bill, the government has taken control of university syndicates as well as the admission policy earlier managed by universities through their respective academic councils.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2018