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Published 30 Jul, 2012 02:12am

Teachers fear violence if VC not removed

HYDERABAD, July 29: Office-bearers of the Sindh University Teachers Association (SUTA) said on Sunday that they feared a bloodshed on the campus after summer vacations if Vice Chancellor Dr Nazir Mughal was not sent home.

Addressing a news conference at the press club, SUTA general secretary Dr Arfana Mallah said: “I am saying this because the university administration is patronising one group and the other groups will certainly react.”

She rejected a perception that the main objective of the agitation was to secure leaders’ promotions. They were struggling for improvement of the academic environment, she said.

She said that the four-member VC’s committee had assured them that their four demands were acceptable but the one about withdrawal of law- enforcement personnel from the campus would take time.

The demands were; removal of the VC, arrest of killers of Prof Bashir Channar and appointment of a judicial commission to investigate his murder and withdrawal of Rangers and restoration of student unions.

She said the committee had informed SUTA that the chancellor had written a letter for restoration of students union to the Higher Education Commission.

The association was informed that an advertisement would be placed in newspapers on June 30 about appointment of a new VC but suddenly Dr Mughal rejoined the university under protection of private security force on June 29.

She said that retired officials had been appointed in the university, five registrars had been changed in seven months and the VC had made around 300 irregular appointments.

He appointed an assistant professor as his adviser on planning and development although the post should have been given to a professor.

Recently, an audit objection was reported about Rs50 million. The university’s ranking had nosedived.

She said that 70 university teachers were waiting for scholarship but the administration was squandering money for its own survival. The funds if remained unutilised would lapse, she said.

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