KARACHI: Teachers at public sector universities across Sindh observed a black day on Monday on the call of Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (Fapuasa), Sindh chapter, against the recent brutal murder of Dr Ajmal Sawand in Kandhkot.

Dr Sawand was an assistant professor at the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Sukkur.

Teachers wore black armbands, held rallies and meetings at universities to voice their anger over the incident, demanding action against the culprits.

In a statement, Dr Fahad Nazir Khoso and Dr Baqir Ali Zardari of the Fapuasa-Sindh expressed deep concern over the murder, describing the incident as a great tragedy.

“The killing of a teacher is like killing a generation. It’s a huge loss to the education sector. Dr Sawand was a dedicated teacher and his contribution towards education in Sindh is invaluable,” Dr Khoso said.

On behalf of the association, he demanded immediate arrest of the killers. “He was killed due to an ongoing rivalry between two communities. We condemn this heinous act and demand that the Sindh government take immediate action against the culprits involved in this tragic incident.”

At Sindh Madressatul Islam University in Karachi, teachers participated in a protest meeting in large numbers where they demanded that the government improve law and order in the province and take action against the tribal chieftains and feudal lords who were involved in the murder.

The association urged the chief justice of Pakistan and chief justice of the Sindh High Court and law enforcement agencies to take notice of the tribal disputes creating unrest in society.

“Dr Sawand was a highly qualified young man with a PhD from France. He was serving the young generation of his own land but the murderers having tribal mindset martyred him,” Sindh Madressatul Islam University’s Teachers Association president Asif Hussain Samo said in a statement.

He regretted the collective failure of the state in protecting the best minds of the nation. “What message are we giving to the world that we are unable to protect our best minds? This speaks volumes of our governance and society by large.”

Recalling his interactions with Dr Sawand, Mr Samo said, “Once he had said that if we have to go to other countries instead of serving our young nation, then why have we received education from abroad?”

In its statement, Shah Abdul Latif University’s Teachers Association (SALUTA) condemned the murder and government’s failure in protecting citizen’s lives.

“Dr Sawand’s murder has shocked the academic community and SALUTA stands in solidarity with his family and friends. We demand that the government take immediate action and arrest the perpetrators and bring them to justice,” the statement said.

Published in Dawn, April 11th, 2023