SUKKUR, Nov 12: Teachers association of the Ghulam Mohammad Mahar Medical College have warned of launching a protest movement against what they described as the denial of promotion to college teachers for three years.

President of the association Dr Mohammad Rafique Memon and office-bearer Dr Shakeel Abbasi told Dawn on Monday that teachers in medical colleges affiliated with the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Medical University (SBBMU), Larkana, had not been promoted for three years and were thereby deprived of facilities extended to their counterparts by other medical universities.

They accused SBBMU vice chancellor Prof Dr Akbar Hyder Soomro of promoting only three of his ‘favourite teachers’ of Larkana to higher grade and denying the rest their legal right.

They said that all professors, associate professors and demonstrators in the People’s Medical University, Nawabshah, had been promoted although the university was set up a year after the establishment of SBBMU.

They said the VC of SBBMU followed rules and regulations laid down by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council and the Higher Education Commission for the posting and promotion of professors and associate professors. He made the postings after taking interviews and tests which was wrong, said the teachers leaders. They said the teachers in medical colleges affiliated with SBBMU were getting between Rs10,000 and 12,000 less and non-teaching staff were receiving between Rs5,000 and 6,000 less than what their counterparts were getting in other medical colleges.

SBBMU VC Prof Dr Soomro rejected the teachers’ allegations and said the fact of the matter was that the summary was ready, a notification had been issued and promotion orders would be issued within four to six weeks.

He dismissed college teacher’s protest as unnecessary hue and cry over the issue and said a few cases of promotion were pending discussion and review of performances by syndicate, which would meet soon to dispose of the cases.

He said that he did not want to disclose details at this stage and assured that everything would be done on merit. A gang was busy spreading malicious propaganda against him to hide their own wrongdoings, he said.