Sindh governor takes notice; seeks report over
Karachi University’s financial affairs from director finance
Karachi
The Karachi University Teachers Society (KUTS) despite the varsity administration’s claim of having released the salaries was yet to call off the boycott of classes and examinations, The News learnt on Wednesday.
Protesting non-payment of salaries for a second consecutive day, the society was reported to have called a general body meeting for today (Thursday), to discuss its future plan of action now that the dues had been paid.
An official of the teachers’ association told The News that the protest started at 10:30am and went on till 12 in the afternoon while the salaries were released after 5pm. He added that not a single officer of the university administration bothered to speak to them or assure them regarding the release of salaries.
“The provincial governor took notice of the protest, the vice chancellor contacted the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to release the grant; all of this took only a day. Considering the issue was resolved within a matter of hours it means issuing salaries to teachers is not that big a problem,” the official said.
KU pays salaries
According to a KU official, the salaries of the teachers had been released, and that they were delayed by two days only. “Usually salaries are paid on the first day of every month. But due to beginning of the new financial year and some other reasons the payment was delayed.”
He also refuted claims of the delay in payment of salaries being caused by HEC’s decision to not release the grant meant for the varsity
Governor takes notice
Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad took notice of the KU teachers boycott and warned the KU administration to not show slackness in this regard in future.
Participants of a special meeting called at the Governor House to look into the varsity’s financial affairs, chaired by the advisor to Sindh Governor on Higher Education, Syed Wajahat Ali, reached the conclusion that Islamabad-based Higher Education Commission (HEC) could not be blamed for the financial crisis at KU.
Participants of the meeting were informed that the KU VC had for the past week been in contact with the varsity’s Finance department over the issue of disbursal of salaries to the staff, but the department did not make any effort in this regard.
The director finance was strictly asked to take care of that a delay of this kind does not take place in the future, besides directing him to submit details of the varsity’s financial position in order for a report to be submitted with the Governor and chairman of HEC.
It would be on the basis of the report’s findings that directives would be issued from the chancellor’s secretariat to improve KU’s financial affairs.
The Sindh Governor also called the HEC Islamabad chairman, Dr Mukhtar Ahmed, to discuss the financial matters with him.
The meeting at Governor House was attended by HEC executive director Prof Dr Raza Bhatti, Charter Inspection Committee chairman Prof Dr Abdul Qadeer Rajput, KU VC Prof Dr Muhammad Qaiser, KU Director Finance Tariq Kaleem and director HEC finance.
KUTS’ demands
Besides demanding payment of salaries and leave encashment, the KUTS also called for removal of the varsity’s director finance. The association also asked the Sindh government and the HEC to increase KU’s grant by 300 percent to end the financial crisis.
The varsity’s financial affairs were demanded to be made transparent by setting up separate accounts for the grants it received from the government and the earnings it made through its own resources.
People appointed by the Sindh government should be removed from service; grants for research projects extended by HEC and other organisations were demanded to be given to teachers at the earliest.
The HEC should enhance its annual grant for KU to Rs2.5 billion, while the government should release on immediate basis the sum of Rs350 million it allocated for KU during the last fiscal year. The federal government should provide a one-time grant of Rs2 billion to KU; illegal actions of KU Director Finance Tariq Kaleem should be undone immediately.
Addressing the protesting teachers, KUTS President Dr Shakeel Farooqui reiterated the desire to carry on with the strike till the demands were met.
He said the teachers were not proud on having had to boycott classes over non-payment of their due salaries, and added that it was every workers right to be paid on time. “Weak university administration, and Sindh government's policy to run universities on ad hoc basis, is what has gotten us here.”
He suggested the government and the KU administration to take protest as an eye-opener or watch the teaching and non-teaching staff protesting outside CM and Governor Houses. He also held the HEC equally responsible for KU’s poor management.
The KUTS president also hoped that students would stand with their teachers.
The KUTS Secretary Moiz Khan, members Dr Riaz Ahmed, Dr SM Taha, Dr Haris Shoaib and others also expressed their concerns over the situation and behaviour of the KU administration.
The KUTS also expressed its gratitude to the Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA) Balochistan and Sindh chapters for their solidarity and announced to hold a joint meeting of FAPUAS Sindh soon to spread the protest to the entire province.
