Teachers demand removal of HEC chief

LAHORE:Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA) has given a country-wide protest call of teachers against Higher Education Commission (HEC) while terming its policies anti-higher education.

In this regard, an online meeting of the executive council was held which was attended by FAPUASA President Dr Sohail Yousaf, Vice-President Naimatullah Laghari, General Secretary Dr Kaleemullah, Punjab President Prof Dr Mumtaz Anwar Chaudhry and representatives from all provinces.

The meeting demanded immediate removal of the HEC chairperson from his post alleging that he and his team were damaging the higher education sector in country. They said that if the government did not remove HEC chairperson, FAPUASA’s Islamabad chapter would hold protest demo on 13 October, Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chapters on 14 October, Punjab Chapter on 15 October, Azad Jammu and Kashmir chapter on 16 October while on 21 October. The teachers from all the universities across Pakistan will hold protest demonstrations and sit-in outside HEC Islamabad’s office.

Prof Dr Mumtaz Anwar Chaudhry said that the HEC team was not resolving the problems being faced by the faculty members in the universities and had failed to promote higher education and research culture, to pursue and convince government for increase in higher education budget, eliminate post PhD experience condition for appointment of teachers on BPS, ensure time-scale promotions, protect TTS teachers jobs, increase in salaries and ensure 75 percent rebate in income tax, permission to work on administrative posts, approval of appointment and promotions.

He said HEC was attempting unnecessary and illegal interventions in the universities autonomy. He also said FAPUASA also rejected HEC’s new policies about research journals and admission on PhD level programmes. He demanded that FAPUASA be given representation in every policy making process. He said that FAPUASA would continue its protest country-wide unless its just demands were addressed in a proper manner.