LAHORE: The Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA), Punjab chapter, on Wednesday announced boycott of classes in all universities of the province after Aug 10 in protest against non-payment of disparity/special allowance to university teachers and other employees.

FAPUSA Punjab Chapter President Dr Abdul Sattar Malik, General Secretary Dr Ahtisham Ali, Punjab University Academic Staff Association (PUASA) President Dr Mumtaz Anwar, General Secretary Dr Amjad Abbas Magsi, GCU ASA President Dr Atif Shahbaz, UET ASA President Dr Amjad Hussain, UVAS ASA President Dr Anila Durrani and representatives of various ASAs from other universities jointly held a press conference at the Lahore Press Club to raise their voice against anti-education policies and announced a protest movement.

Dr Malik said university teachers and employees were also affected by inflation and were being treated like stepchildren. He said inflation had been increasing for the last three years but university teachers and staff were being punished for creating the best minds in society.

Dr Ali said all other provinces of the country and Azad Kashmir government had released funds for special allowance, but the Punjab government had deprived universities of the same.

He demanded the notification issued by the Finance Department be immediately re-notified and the Punjab chief minister should announce the release of funds for giving this allowance to university teachers and employees without any grade discrimination.

He said the PhD allowance in other provinces also reached Rs25,000 but the Punjab government was still limiting it to Rs10,000.

He said the government thinking regarding higher education could be gauged from the fact that MPhil and PhD teachers in the college cadre were being deprived of special allowance.

They announced that they would hold a protest after Aug 10 if the government did not accept their demands for special allowance.

They said teachers and employees across Punjab would boycott educational and teaching process. They said the universities would be locked and teachers, employees as well as civil society organisations would organise protests in all major cities.

They said if the government did not show restraint despite all this, university teachers and employees would stage a sit-in in Lahore which would continue till the acceptance of their demands.

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2021