KARACHI, May 12: The Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association has urged the president and prime minister to look into their long-standing demand of upgrading pay scales for the teachers of public sector varsities.

In a statement issued here on Friday, Prof Sarwar Nasim, President of the organisation the Karachi University Teachers’ Society, pointed out that university teachers had to pass through a tough selection procedure of promotion from the position of lecturer to professor, but there was no system for promotion on the basis of seniority, as was in practice in the case of colleges.

He drew the president's attention towards the package for teachers at private varsities, which largely depended on the services of either retired professors or visiting faculty. He said with the existing pay scales, there was a risk that the public universities might lose services of competent teachers.

“Teachers want to serve the cause of higher education with a sense of commitment, but the government should do something to remove their sense of deprivation as they deserve higher grades,” he said.

Mr Naseem reminded policy-makers that elsewhere in the world, university teachers were the highest paid professionals, but in Pakistan, teachers would find it difficult even to meet basic requirements of life.-—PPI