KARACHI: Academic activities came to a complete halt at Karachi University (KU) on Friday amid a stand-off between the administration and teachers over a prolonged delay in payment of the evening programme’s dues.

Sources said no evening classes had been held on the campus for nine days while teachers decided to extend their boycott to the morning classes in a general body meeting of the Karachi University Teachers’ Society (Kuts) held a day earlier.

According to university officials, there are more than 46,000 students enrolled at the university right now.

In a late evening development, the caretaker chief minister took notice of the KU teachers’ strike and directed boards and universities secretary to present a report on the matter. “The chief minister has asked KU teachers to continue academic activities on the campus. He has expressed willingness to resolve their grievances on a priority basis,” a CM House spokesperson said.

Caretaker CM intervenes, asks protesting teachers to resume classes

Earlier in the day, several students shared their reservations over the situation and said that teachers’ strikes would greatly harm their studies if allowed to continue.

Speaking to Dawn, they said the time was crucial, especially for the students enrolled in the morning programme who were about to finish their last semester.

“We won’t be able to complete our courses in time, which might force many of us to stay at the hostel for a longer period. That would mean an increase in out-of-pocket expenditure that we have to manage and a delay in finishing our degrees and applying for the job,” a science student said, adding that it was a hard time for the majority of KU students representing the lower middle class.

Sources said these concerns were raised during the Kuts general body meeting, and a few teachers suggested against opting for a complete strike or holding it for the time being. However, the majority opinion for a complete strike prevailed.

In a press statement, Kuts stated that the classes’ boycott would continue if the problems were not sorted out.

“Teachers are forced to opt for the boycott. They have been telling the administration about their concerns over non-payment of the evening programme’s dues since February this year,” it said.

According to teachers, the total pending amount pertaining to the evening programme, which is run on a self-finance basis, is around Rs80 million. In addition, they are also deprived of their enhanced salaries.

Meanwhile, teachers’ associations across Sindh, including the Quaid-i-Awam Teachers’ Association (QUTA) Sindh, have extended their support to KU teachers.

In a statement, the Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA) Sindh chapter stated that it had called for a meeting on Tuesday on the KU campus.

“We strongly support all the demands of Kuts and condemn the university administration for its continued failure to disburse due remuneration to its academic staff,” says the statement.

Published in Dawn, September 23th, 2023