KARACHI: Academic activities resumed at Karachi University (KU) on Tuesday after a gap of two weeks following teachers’ decision to suspend their boycott of classes till March 6.

Sources said the environment on the campus was peaceful as students and teachers returned to classes. One positive development on the campus, they said, was the release of a university notification on the selection boards for the posts of associate professor and professor.

Speaking to Dawn, representatives of Karachi University Teachers Society (Kuts) said the body was carefully watching moves of the university administration that had been given a two-week deadline to meet teachers’ demands.

“Some teachers have received today dues of the evening classes pending for over a year,” Kuts vice president Dr Ghufran Alam shared, adding that the administration had scheduled the selection boards of the departments of applied chemistry, library and information sciences and pharmaceutical chemistry on 25th of this month.

KU teachers have been demanding the start of 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.

Two weeks ago, the teachers started a partial boycott of classes, which then turned into a complete suspension of academic and administrative activities last week.

On Monday, the Kuts’ general body decided to suspend the boycott till March 6, while giving a two-week deadline to the vice chancellor to meet their demands including withdrawal of a court case against the newly appointed teachers of the mass communication department.

Published in Dawn, February 22th, 2023