HYDERABAD, Feb 7: The Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association (SPLA) has decided to observe a token hunger strike throughout Sindh on Feb 12 to press for the acceptance of their demands.

This was decided at a meeting of a committee of the SPLA, held on Feb 5, under the chairmanship of Professor Qazi Sirajuddin.

The meeting adopted ten resolutions.

It demanded withdrawal of the Sindh cabinet decision to privatize/ denationalize the educational institutions of the province.

The meeting was of the opinion that the decision pertaining to merger of the seniority of the government cadre college teachers and nationalized college teachers was in violation of the recruitment service rules and it would adversely affect the promotion of the government college teachers permanently.

The meeting demanded to immediately withdrawn this controversial decision.

It further demanded that the subject of Information Technology be made optional in the education institutions of Sindh like Punjab and other provinces, the out-dated syllabus of this subject be revised and Rs300 tuition fee for the subject be made part of admission fee, as per financial rules framed by the finance department.

The meeting termed the show cause notice served on Mirza Akhtar Hussain, president SPLA, Karachi, as violation of the decisions taken on Jan 10, 2002, at the meeting between the chief secretary of the steering committee and representatives of the Sindh Employees Alliance and demanded its withdrawal.

It also demanded to immediately withdraw the show cause notices served on 22 college teachers of Karachi as the same were against the Sindh Civil Servants Rules.

The meeting pointed out that the appointment of EDO (education), Karachi, who was an officer of B-19 against B-20 post, was great injustice to the senior teachers.

The meeting alleged that the EDO (education), Sukkur, was involved in embezzlement of funds and misuse of powers, therefore she should be removed.