KARACHI, March 7: The Federation of All-Pakistan University Academic Staff Associations has demanded of the Prime Minister to stop implementation of the Model University Ordinance.

A federation statement on Friday said the ordinance was already being implemented in Urdu University and directives have been issued to enforce it in six more universities.

In its general body meeting on Feb 26, the federation had decided to restart protests against the MUO since the government has restarted implementing it.

In a letter to the PM, the federation secretary, Dr. Riaz Ahmed, has asserted that teachers of public sector universities of Pakistan have rejected the Model University Ordinance-2002 as it is against the interests of teachers, students and public at large. He stated that MUO was formulated without consulting teachers and students and was meant to fulfil the agenda of the World Bank.

“The ordinance aims to transform public sector varsities into commercial centres. It is designed to eliminate elected representatives, including MNAs, MPAs from governing bodies, raise fee and downsize academia”, he stated.

“Previously, there used to be six members from the National and Provincial assemblies in varsity syndicates, but now in MUO, there is no such representation. These reforms have been implemented in an arbitrary manner and served the World Bank and the local bureaucracy”.—PPI