KARACHI: The Karachi University Teachers’ Society (Kuts) on Friday rejected the recent notifications on the 2019 selection boards and warned the varsity administration that their boycott of academic activities may be continued if it failed to release the complete schedule of the selection boards in a few days.

The teachers’ body, however, did not demand the resignation from varsity’s top official who couldn’t release the complete schedule as per its demand.

“We reject the Feb 16 notifications by the universities and boards secretary and the vice chancellor. They both have proved that they want to reduce the number of vacant posts for associate professor and professor,” Kuts President Prof Solaha Rahman told a press conference on Friday.

She explained that the notifications pertained to limited vacant posts of associate professor and professor was in contrast to the 2019 advertisement seeking appointments on all teaching cadres.

Asked about any possibility of postponing their boycott, the Kuts president said this strategy was unanimously approved by society’s general body and the same forum would take a decision in this respect on Feb 20 (Monday).

“Nobody should doubt our unity and resolve to move to the next stage of protest, if our demands are not met,” she said.

Kuts blames govt officials, university administration for students’ suffering

She squarely blamed the university administration and some officials in the provincial government for students’ sufferings due to the boycott.

“The reason for our continued boycott is the desire being harboured by some people to cancel the 2019 advertisement under which appointments would be made for over 300 teaching posts of 54 departments.

“There are some officials in the provincial government who want to trample upon the autonomous status of the university and the vice chancellor is their front man. They have paralysed university’s administration and creating hurdles in all kinds of appointments. The huge increase in students’ fees is also being done on their orders,” she said.

About students’ problems, she admitted that they were no longer ready for another drastic increase in fees. “We understand and are concerned about their issues. The amount of their scholarships is taken away by the director finance,” Kuts president shared.

The Kuts representatives also criticised the administration for holding up teachers’ remuneration of evening classes for over one year and denying the non-teaching and teaching staff of their promotions and quality medical care.

Sources said teachers decided not to seek vice chancellor Prof Khalid Iraqi’s resignation because there had been partial progress on the matter and official assurances had been extended to them that the matter would be sorted out as per their demand soon.

KU teachers have been calling upon the authorities to start the appointment process for the posts advertised in 2019. The situation took a serious turn last year when the secretary of universities and boards declared proceedings of the selection boards null and void on grounds that the vice chancellor needed to take prior permission for the process from the provincial government. The demand remained unaddressed the whole year.

Last week, the teachers started a partial boycott of classes, which then turned into a complete suspension of academic and administrative activities this week.

Published in Dawn, February 18th, 2023