PESHAWAR: The Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter has asked the government to withdraw ban on fresh recruitment in the public sector universities and other administrative steps.

The association met at the Engineering University Peshawar with its regional president, Dr Sartaj Alam, in the chair. The representatives of the associations of all universities attended the meeting, said a statement issued here on Friday.

The statement said the higher education department had imposed ban on recruitments on the directives of the provincial governor.

The participants decided that the federation would stage street protests if the government did not withdraw ban on recruitment.

They also said all associations would organise sit-in.

The participants decided that the association would seek the intervention of the federal government as the provincial government’s policies were harming higher education in the province.

“The association will put up a protest camp in front of parliament, Supreme Court or the premier’s Banigala mansion,” the statement said.

The participants criticised the vice-chancellors of Bacha Khan University Charsadda and Gomal University Dera Ismail Khan for violating the law and demanded of the government to direct the Federal Investigation Agency to hold inquiries against them.

They asked the provincial government to follow the Punjab government’s model and set up the provincial Higher Education Commission.

The participants asked all FAPUASA sub-associations to organise a general body meetings and begin preparations for the protest movement.

Published in Dawn, February 22nd, 2020