KUTS wants govt to accept its demands by Friday

The ongoing protest by the Karachi University Teachers Society (KUTS) entered its fourth day on Thursday as teachers gathered in front of the varsity’s admin block and repeated their demands.

Later, the Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association’s (Fapuasa) Sindh chapter, the Officer Welfare Association (OWA) of the KU and the Employees Welfare Association (EWA) of the varsity also joined the demonstration.

EWA Information Secretary Waqar Ali, while speaking to the demonstrators, said that the situation had now crossed the point of no return. He alleged that KU Registrar Dr Munawwer Rasheed was appointed illegally as his appointment was not only against Supreme Court decisions, but it also violated the rules of Karachi University and the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan.

He said non-teaching staffers were not ready to follow the instructions of the illegally appointed registrar.

KUTS Secretary Dr Moiz Khan said the “incompetent” KU administration was hiding its ineptness and shifting the blame of its own failure onto the Sindh government. However, he demanded that the government should release funds allocated for PhD allowances.

OWA President Tahir Ahmed demanded that the KU registrar should be removed from his position because his presence had created an administration crisis at the varsity.

He said that the collective struggle of the teaching and non- teaching staff could save Karachi University from destruction.

Fapuasa Sindh chapter President Prof Dr Naimatullah Leghari vowed full support of the association and said if a VC failed to secure grants from government then he should resign from his position.

He said if the KUTS’ demands were not accepted then Fapuasa would come to the KU and make the protest successful.

KUTS President Prof Jamil Kazmi vowed to continue the protest till the fulfillment of their demands. He announced the future line of action and set Friday as the deadline for the KU administration to accept demands. “If the KU neglected the demands of the protesting teachers and employees, then the academic staff would shut down academic and administrative activities from Monday.”

KU’s stance

According to the KU spokesperson, the Sindh government is about to release 30.75 million rupees to pay up the increased PhD allowance of faculty members. The grant was announced by the chief minister on January 31, 2018.

“The KU administration would reimburse Rs75,000 to every PhD faculty member as arrears of five months on the receipt of this grant,” he said, adding that the administration was also committed to providing the additional five per cent salary increase announced by the government for its staff members and was waiting for the expected grant from the government in this regard.

The remaining payments would be made immediately on the receipt of this grant, and the medical policy approved by the syndicate has already been implemented.