HYDERABAD: The Federation of the All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (Fapuasa) Sindh chapter has warned that if its demands including removal of Sindh Higher Edu­cation Commission (SHEC) chairman Dr Asim Hussain are not met till Tuesday (Jan 30), academic activities at all public sector universities will be suspended for an indefinite period from the next day.

“The Fapuasa Sindh chapter will inde­finitely boycott academic activities from Jan 31, if the fair demands of the association were not met immediately,” Sindh Fapuasa president Prof Dr Nai­mat Ullah Leghari said at a news conference held at the local press club on Monday. Prof Dr Suhail Ahmed Almani, Dr Arfana Mallah and other executive members were present.

Dr Laghari regretted that not a single government official concerned bothered to contact the association to heed its genuine and fair issues even Fapuasa’s boycott of academic activities since Jan 24. The irony of the fact is that the Sindh government, instead, reappointed Dr Asim Hussain as the SHEC chairman.

Prof Leghari said that the Sindh Higher Education Commission Act, 2013 clearly stated that the “chairperson and the members shall hold office for a period of four years and shall in no case be eligible for re-appointment for more than one similar term."

Published in Dawn, January 30th, 2018