Strike threatened over teachers’ exclusion from IIU decision-making forums

Islamabad

The Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA) has warned it will give a call for strike in all universities of the country if the International Islamic University doesn't give its teachers representation in its decision-making forums.

The warning was issued during a meeting of the FAPUASA at the teachers’ club of the IIU here.

General secretary of the FAPUASA Prof Shakeel Farooqi told participants that in almost all public sector universities of the country, teachers were given representation in decision-making forums like syndicate, academic council and board of governors but the IIU teachers were denied that democratic right.

“The universities are autonomous bodies and teachers are their main stakeholders. How can a university be run without its faculty participating in policy making forums?"

Prof Shakil said the FAPUASA fully supported a protest campaign planned by the IIU Academic Staff Association in that respect.

He warned that if teachers were not given the representation in the IIU decision-making forums soon, the teaching staff members would close universities across the country.

Prof Shakil said the FAPUASA fully supported protest campaign of the IIUI Academic Staff Association for the teachers’ representation in the university's decision-making bodies.

IIU Academic Staff Association president Dr Abdul Jalil said in all public sector universities of the country, at least four teachers of different seniority were included in decision-making forums and that they were elected democratically.

He however, said since the IIU was run bureaucratically, no such democratic norms had been adopted in the varsity.

Dr Abdul Jalil demanded change in the IIU constitution to give teachers the right to be in the IIU decision-making forums.

FAPUASA Islamabad president Dr Shehzad Ashraf said the IIU faced a number of issues as the teachers were absent from its decision-making forums.

“If teachers are not made part of the IIU decision-making bodies soon, we will stage a protest in front of parliament,” he warned.