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HYDERABAD, March 18: The Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association (SPLA) on Tuesday warned that if the government did not solve the problems of college teachers by March 24, the association would then announce its future course of action at a press conference at Karachi press club on March 25.
A meeting of the Sindh council of SPLA chaired by the association’s central vice-president, Prof Manzoor Ahmed Chishti, demanded that the government should regularise the services of ad hoc college teachers, upgrade teachers on the pattern of university teachers and fill 700 vacant posts in grade-18, 19 and 20.
The meeting demanded that the show-cause notices and compulsory leave orders issued to teachers should be withdrawn, vacant posts of lecturers should be filled through the Sindh Public Service Commission and the college principals appointed on contract basis should be removed.
The meeting said that an educationist should be appointed secretary of education department, salary of cooperative teachers should be increased to Rs10,000 a month and the lecturers appointed under the National Internship Programme should be regularised.
Later, the meeting offered fateha for late Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.
STRIKE CALLED OFF: The Atta Chakki Owners Association withdrew its call for strike after negotiations between chakki owners and the district government on Tuesday.
A delegation of the association comprising its president Haji Nawab, Mohammad Hanif Rajput and Mohammad Hanif Khanzada called on District Nazim Kanwar Naveed Jamil and apprised him of the problems confronting the chakki owners. The district government announced retail price of wheat flour as Rs17.50 per kg, which it said would remain in force up to Saturday night.
Mr Jamil said that some elements were trying to create flour crisis in the district by hoarding and blackmarketing wheat, but the district government would not allow them to do so. The district government had sympathies with general public but it would also not ignore the genuine problems of the chakki owners, he said.
The chakki owners agreed to sell flour at the rate of Rs17.50 per kg. The nazim appreciated the spirit of the association and directed the price control committee and judicial magistrates to pay surprise visits to markets and take strict action against the hoarders and black marketeers.
MOURNING: The chairman of the Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz Basheer Khan Qureshi, Mohammad Rahimoon, Akash Mallah and Zafar Korejo announced on Tuesday three days of mourning across the province over the murder of JSQM leader Dilbar Mirani in Karachi.
In a statement faxed to Dawn, they said that demonstrations would be held throughout the province to condemn the murder of party leader. The agents of rulers, who had earlier killed Abdul Hakeem Notiar, were responsible for Mirani’s murder, they alleged.
