LAHORE, Feb 9: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has criticised the measures taken against protesting teachers by the administration of Sindh University in a statement issued on Thursday in Lahore.

“The HRCP notes with alarm that the services of two representatives of Sindh University Teachers’ Association, Dr Arfana Mallah and Dr Azhar Ali Shah, have been terminated and show-cause notices issued to other teachers.”

“The HRCP also has serious reservations over the authorities’ apathetic approach towards acknowledging and addressing teachers’ concerns. It defies reason why the teachers must protest for weeks upon weeks before their concerns register on the official radar,” said the statement. The teachers had protested in a peaceful manner for long and their demands didn’t seem unreasonable, it said.

“The HRCP calls upon the governor, in his capacity as chancellor of the university, to rescind the decisions regarding the dismissal of and issuance of show-cause notices to teachers and take effective steps to fulfil the government’s obligation to ensure an atmosphere free from intimidation for academic progress at the university,” concluded the statement.