KARACHI: Sixty-four leading writers, poets, educationists, political workers and members of the Karachi Bar have in a joint statement deplored the continuation of the existing University Ordinances which have been “condemned and rejected” by the students, teachers and the public, and demanded their immediate repeal. They expressed surprise that in spite of unanimous protest the Ordinances were still in force.

… “These ordinances deny autonomy, academic freedom and democracy ... By placing the universities under bureaucratic control, by doing away with the Senate… by denying the elected representatives of teachers effective participation in decision-making … by concentrating all authority in the hands of nominated Vice-chancellors and Syndicates, the Ordinances have seriously limited the role of the university as a free and vigorous institution of learning.”

“As a consequence not only education but also the intellectual and cultural life of the country has received a setback. The University is designed to serve the community, but at present … its actions have been carefully sheltered from public accountability and even from legal action. Most of the abuses in our education system and institutions are directly attributed to those Ordinances.”

Published in Dawn, November 26th, 2020