HYDERABAD, Oct 11: Teachers at the Sindh Agriculture University Tando Jam have for the first time in three months since the agitation against the varsity’s vice-chancellor, Dr Basheer Ahmed Shaikh, began joined hands with other employees and have called for his removal.

Sources at the university said that a general body meeting of the university teachers was held with Dr Ameer Bux Kalhoro in the chair on Saturday. The meeting expressed its concern over the worsening situation at the campus.

Most of the teachers criticizing the vice-chancellor said that his wrong policies had affected the overall image of the institution and had destroyed the academic atmosphere of the campus.

The meeting adopted several resolutions calling for an immediate removal of Dr Shaikh.

Another resolution demanded appointment of a new vice-chancellor on merit from amongst the university professors. It also called for the removal of the university’s registrar, Riyasat Ali Kubar as according to the teachers, he also had become too controversial.

The meeting welcomed the inquiry against the vice-chancellor as announced by the Sindh governor but expressed strong reservations over the appointment of S.M. Qureshi as the convener of the committee.

The meeting demanded that a senior judge of the Sindh High Court should be appointed to head the inquiry committee.

Meanwhile, sources told Dawn that talks between the university employees and secretary to the governor held on Saturday over the resumption of duties by the vice-chancellor had also failed.

According to reports, the chairman of the All Sindh Universities Employees Federation, Raza Mohammad Durrani, and Secretary General Mohammad Bux Rajpar and leaders of the university employees, Hussain Bux Veesar, Karam Ali Punnu and others were summoned to the Governor’s House by the secretary to the Sindh governor, Aftab Lodhi, who tried to persuade the employees to call off their protest as an inquiry committee had already been constituted to resolve the problems.

However, the employees expressing their reservations over the probe body said that it was headed by a supporter of the vice chancellor. The employees demanded that a retired or in-service judge of the Sindh High Court should be appointed as head of the inquiry committee and till the completion of the inquiry; the vice- chancellor should not be allowed to resume his duties.

Sources said that Mr Lodhi insisted that the VC would resume his duties on Monday on which the employees walked out of the meeting. The employees have resolved to resume protest if the vice- chancellor was allowed to return to the university.