KARACHI: The Karachi University Teachers Society (Kuts) at a meeting held on Monday on the campus announced to continue their boycott of examinations of the evening programme unless their concerns were addressed.

The meeting presided over by Prof Jamil Kazmi, the Kuts president, once again raised concern over “harassment of teachers, especially female teachers, by the election commission staff”.

The meeting had consensus that if “harassment continued, teachers could go for court arrest for which the university administration would be responsible”.

“It’s the failure of the inexperienced administration that today our female colleagues are being harassed [by the election commission] while teachers at other universities in the country are busy performing their academic duties and responsibilities as they have been exempted from election duties,” a press release said.

The university administration could not hold proper contacts and communication with the election commission that had resulted in serious crisis on the KU campus and teachers were suffering from mental trauma, it further said.

“Kuts also believes that the university administration tried to create misunderstanding between teachers and the election commission staff. Teachers found the judges very positive when they met them. Despite all our concerns, teachers have assured the commission to provide substitute staff for election duties,” it added.

It praised returning officers, army, employees’ association and officers’ association for extending cooperation.

The Teachers’ Alliance for Good Governance, a KU teachers’ group also holding positions in the Kuts, however, has issued a rejoinder, rejecting parts of the Kuts statement.

“The press release is against facts. The meeting repeatedly questioned the competence of the election commission but these concerns haven’t been included in the Kuts statement.”

The group also expressed surprise over the stance Kuts president and secretary took against the university administration as they had earlier praised the university registrar in the past meetings for his role in sorting out matters with the election commission.

It also questioned why Kuts praised the officers’ association whose general secretary was currently acting as assistant returning officer.

“Our teachers are getting harassing calls from this office, a fact which was greatly resented in the meeting. But, this wasn’t included in the statement. We demand that Kuts issue a revised statement,” said Osama Shafiq representing TAGG.

Published in Dawn, July 3rd, 2018