KARACHI, Nov 24: The teachers of the University of Karachi on Thursday said that they were not ready to draw back from their declaration on the issue of the manhandling of one of their senior colleagues by some students and would continue the boycott of academic and administrative duties till an acceptable decision was taken by the KU administration.
They observed strike on the second day as well and at a general body meeting once again demanded that students involved in the manhandling of a senior teacher Mujeeb Ahmad and threatening the faculty members of the geology department be expelled at once.
Teachers did not conduct the semester exams during the day and held a rally to express solidarity with the teachers who were misbehaved by some students activists on Monday and Tuesday last.
Speaking at the general body meeting, which was chaired by president of Karachi University Teachers’ Society, Dr Suhail Barkati, teachers urged the Sindh chief minister to order for practical steps against the unruly students.
The KUTS decided that they would boycott semester exams on Friday as well and would gather at the geology department at 10am to evolve further line of action. KUTS Secretary Sarwar Nasim, Dr Riaz Ahmad, Dr Shakil Farooqui, Dr Abdul Azeem, Shahid Qureshi and others also spoke on the occasion.
A couple of teachers said that their forum should not compromise on the issue and continue exerting pressure on the KU administration till the rustication of the students.
In the meantime, KU pro-vice-chancellor, Dr Akhlaq Ahmad, who heads the university’s disciplinary committee as well, held meeting with some faculty members and chairman of the geology department on Thursday.
Talking to newsmen, he said that the committee had been provided with more details related to the undignified attitude by some students at the department in question and those too provided ground for disciplinary action against the student or students in question.
He said that the disciplinary committee would meet again on Friday morning to hear from Adeel M. Ali, who had been issued a show cause notice. There is likelihood that the committee will submit its findings and results on the said issue to the vice-chancellor during the day.
Meanwhile, Sindh Planning and Development Minister Shoaib Ahmed Bukhari along with MPA Syed Shakir Ali visited KU and held talks with the KU VC on the prevailing unrest at the campus, PPI adds.
Later after the meeting, the KU vice-chancellor told newsmen that the minister asked him to take whatever action deemed fit against the student, who threatened a varsity teacher for not allowing him to appear in the semester exams due to the shortage of attendance.
Dr Pirzada said the minister and the MPA inquired about the details of the incident of manhandling of the teacher and assured government support in administrative action being taken against the accused by the varsity as per its rules and regulation.
According to Dr Pirzada, he told the minister that the KU administration was not under any kind of pressure and the KU disciplinary committee was handling the issue satisfactorily.