• Teachers, non-teaching staff refuse to end boycott until fulfilment of demands
• Student bodies also stage protest, demand resumption of classes, exams

KARACHI: Frustrated over the prolonged delay in non-payment of their dues, teachers and non-teaching staff at Karachi University (KU) on Monday held a major protest rally on the campus, where they urged the chief minister to hold a transparent investigation into the university’s financial crisis and grant immediate relief to employees.

The striking employees, represented by Karachi University Teachers’ Society (Kuts), KU Officers’ Welfare Association and KU Employees’ Welfare Association (KUEWA) have been on a boycott for their demands for almost a month, causing an absolute disruption of all academic activities, including the semester exams.

Sources said the alliance had once again refused to call off their protest till a significant financial relief was announced for the employees.

“The employees are not willing to postpone or end their protest without a solid reason. I have communicated the same to the Sindh Higher Commission (HEC) chairman when he called me today and asked for calling off the protest till June 2,” Kuts President Syed Ghufran Alam told Dawn.

All KU employees were united and they should not be forced to take their protest out on the streets, he added.

Sources said that it’s the second time this week that the KU employees have refused to call off their protest. Earlier, the KU Vice chancellor held a meeting with representatives of the teaching and non-teaching staff, seeking time to address their grievances. The representatives also met the KU finance director and presented their recommendations but no headway could be made.

At the protest in the morning, the protestors made fiery speeches and chanted slogans against the university administration.

“We want an accountability of the last seven years during which the university has suffered Rs1.5bn deficit,” said Dr Zeeshan and Zahid Hussain representing Kuts and KUEWA, stressing that without a transparent investigation, efforts to address the financial irregularities would be futile.

Meanwhile, the Islami Jamiat Talaba and Imamia Students Organisation also held a protest demonstration against the ongoing boycott at the campus. The protesting students held placards and chanted slogans demanding that their exams be conducted and that educational activities be resumed.

They also protested the lack of facilities on the campus, saying that the students pay hefty fees but get such poor facilities at the university. They demanded that the quality of education be improved and that sufficient scholarships be made available on the campus.

Published in Dawn, May 26th, 2026