KARACHI: Highlight­ing a host of issues plaguing the education sector, particularly in Sindh, senior teachers, students, and civil society activists representing different institutions demanded the immediate lifting of the ban on student unions and due representation of students on university statutory bodies at a press conference held on Thursday.

They were speaking at a press conference organised by the Concerned Citizens’ Alliance (CAA) at the press club on Thursday.

Sharing their concerns, student representatives said that while they were key stakeholders in educational institutions, no official forum was available to them to voice their concerns or resolve their issues.

They also expressed serious reservations about the annual increase in tuition fees, stating that many deserving students, particularly at Karachi University (KU), were either forced to forgo university admissions or abandon their studies due to financial constraints.

“We demand an immediate 50 per cent reduction in student fees and a significant increase in point buses,” said Jaswant Singh, a law student at KU, representing the Progressive Students’ Front.

Another student, Arsalan Soomro of KU, pointed out that although many university students hail from remote areas, the KU administration does not provide adequate hostel facilities.

“A boys’ hostel on the campus is occupied, while female students are deprived of basic facilities at their hostel despite paying accommodation fees,” he said.

Teachers associated with the Federal Urdu University for Arts, Science and Technology criticised the prolonged delay in their salaries and the pensions of retired staff, as well as the university administration’s refusal to pay house rental ceilings.

They also demanded an immediate halt to administrative actions being taken against teachers for speaking up for their rights.

Speakers included Azhar Jameel and Tehseen Fatima of the CCA, Dr Asghar Dashti, Dr Iqbal Naqvi, and Adnan Khan of Urdu University, Behram Baloch of the Baloch Students’ Action Committee, and Qazi Khizer of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2024