KARACHI: Rights activists, legal experts and teachers have said that salary is a fundamental human right and there is no justification to suspend or withhold it as long as a person’s services are being utilised.

They said this at a seminar titled “Salary is a Fundamental Right,” organised at the Karachi University’s Staff Club. Dr Zeeshan Iqbal moderated the event.

The event was held to highlight the plight of two KU teachers, Dr Munawwer Rashif and Naseer Akhtar, whose salaries remained suspended for over past one year under “pretext of administrative rules” and the issue is not being resolved.

Speaking on the occasion, Chairperson of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Asad Iqbal Butt called the suspension of salary a violation of human rights and said that salary is among the fundamental rights that people have and its suspension is not justified under any pretext as long a person is providing their services.

He claimed it is evident from budget allocations that education “is not a priority of the state” and deplored that teachers at many higher education institutions are already facing various financial issues owing to so-called ‘financial crisis’ and now things have come down to suspension of salaries for such long period.

The government, Mr Butt added, had abundant funds for their own expenses and spent excessively on other things but when it came to education, especially the universities, there was no money.

He said KU teachers needed to unite and raise their voice against this “injustice”, adding that the HRCP would support them in their demands and also issue a separate statement in this regard.

Dr Riaz Ahmed, associate professor at the Department of Applied Chemistry, University of Karachi, spoke in detail about the financial and administrative issues in the university.

He claimed that teachers were already not being paid evening teaching bills, medical bills, leave encashment and salaries of visiting faculty, etc, because the university administration said there was a “financial crisis”. And now, he said, monthly salaries of permanent teachers were being withheld.

He said such issues had now taken the form of a severe crisis that needed to be addressed urgently.

Similarly, Nasir Mansoor of National Trade Union Federation said teachers needed to protest against this grave injustice and added that NTUF would stand with them and provide support.

Dr Asghar Dashti from Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology said salaries of an employee could be suspended only when they are suspended from duty.

Teachers need to make the university administration realise that they must not violate rules of their own university, he said.

Advocate Supreme Court Barrister Abdul Moiz Jafferi said lack of governance and disparity of power was the root issue in the said problem, adding that teachers needed to build pressure on the administration for their just demands and move court against it.

KU response

When contacted, a KU told Dawn that Assistant Prof Naseer Akhtar had presented his joining report on August 2, 2024. His department and concerned offices had approved his joining and his salary would be restored, the official added.

As for Dr Munawar Rasheed, the official claimed that Dr Rasheed was not on the university’s payroll.

Published in Dawn, August 19th, 2024