KARACHI: Asking a public apology of Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, the vice chancellors (VCs) of Sindh’s public sector universities have written a joint letter to National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf to condemn his remarks during a recent assembly session in which he referred them as “dacoits”.

Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly a day before, Khawaja Asif had alleged that vice-chancellors of some universities became billionaires through fund embezzlement. “Dacoits were teaching” the country’s youth, he said, adding that the VCs did not retire but rather sought stay orders from courts.

The VCs of at least 22 universities, including the University of Karachi, NED University of Engineering and Technology, Dow University of Health Sciences, Mehran University, Jamshoro, and Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam aired their disappointment and demanded expungement of the remarks from the proceedings of the house.

“As custodians of the higher education sector in the country, we have strived relentlessly to create an environment that nurtures learning, innovation and academic excellence despite the indifference and lack of support from the government towards higher education … It is crucial that public representatives exercise caution and respect in their choice of words,” they wrote in the letter, a copy of which is available with Dawn.

“We request a public apology for the derogatory statement made against the vice-chancellors… Additionally, we would appreciate it if the remarks made in the National Assembly could be expunged from the official record of the proceedings,” the VCs wrote.

Separately, Pakistan Peoples Party MNA Dr Nafisa Shah also expressed her concern over the derogatory remarks made by the defence minister.

She also highlighted the challenging financial circumstances under which the VCs are currently operating, emphasising the limited funding provided by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) from the federal government.

Underlining significant repercussions of the remarks on Pakistan’s higher education institutions, both within the country and on a global scale, Dr Shah highlighted the detrimental impact they could have on the prospects and future careers of thousands of students currently studying in those institutions.

Published in Dawn, June 16th, 2023