The Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA) announced on Wednesday that teaching activities across provincial universities would be suspended starting Thursday to protest various government policies, including the plan to appoint bureaucrats as vice-chancellors. The decision was revealed during a briefing at Karachi University (UoK) following a general body meeting of the association.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!“This protest will persist until the government retracts its contentious decisions regarding higher education. The responsibility for this disruption rests entirely on the government,” stated Dr Akhtiar Ghumro, president of FAPUASA-Sindh. He explained that the teachers were forced to take this step due to the government’s lack of response to their legitimate demands.
Dr Ghumro emphasized concerns over the proposed changes to vice-chancellor appointment criteria, which would allow bureaucrats or commissioned officers to lead universities, and the decision to hire faculty on a contractual basis.
“Placing universities under bureaucratic control will undermine their autonomy, academic freedom, and educational standards,” he warned.
Echoing this sentiment, Dr Mohsin Ali, president of the Karachi University Teachers’ Society, remarked, “Top educational institutions globally succeed because of their autonomy. This move contradicts that principle. Contract-based employment will destabilize the education system, creating insecurity for teachers and affecting their ability to focus on research and teaching.”
The teachers also criticized the Higher Education Commission’s (HEC) involvement in academic matters and highlighted the financial crisis plaguing public universities. They argued that insufficient resources, poor infrastructure, and staff shortages have hindered research and lowered the quality of education.
Among the demands was the restoration of vice-chancellors’ authority to issue non-objection certificates (NOCs), as the current complicated process delays faculty participation in international conferences.
Representatives from various universities, including Dr Kamran Zakria (NED University), Dr Arshad Memon (Mehran University of Engineering and Technology), Dr Akhtiar Gadahi (Sufi University), Mr Asif Hussain Samo (Sindh Madressatul Islam University), Dr Tariq Hussain Jalbani (Sindh University), and Dr Farhat Nazir Khoso (Sindh Agricultural University), joined the protest.
The teachers pledged to continue their demonstrations until the government addresses their concerns and takes effective measures to safeguard the autonomy and quality of higher education in the province.
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