50pc representation of women in syndicate termed unjustified

LAHORE: University of Engineering and Technology Teaching Staff Association (UET-TSA) has written a letter to the Punjab governor/chancellor about, what it termed, unjustified gender proportion in the university’s syndicate demanding reformation of the same.

In the letter to Punjab Governor/Chancellor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar UET-TSA President Dr Fahim Gohar Awan said that the representation of women in the UET Syndicate had been kept at 50 per cent instead of 33 pc which was “unrealistic, irrational and contrary to democratic principles.”

Dr Fahim said that according to The Punjab Fair Representation of Women Act 2014, women's representation in the syndicates of the universities had been kept at 33 pc like other government institutes.

He cited the example of Punjab University Syndicate saying it had a total representation of six teachers, out of which two seats were reserved for women. “However, in UET Lahore Syndicate, this ratio has been kept at 50 pc which is tantamount to usurping the right of male teachers,” he wrote. The UET-TSA requested the governor/chancellor to issue an order to the authorities concerned to remove the class gap and disparity.