PU teachers protest against acting charge to VC

LAHORE

Some Punjab University (PU) teachers continued their protest against the decision of assigning ‘look after’ charge to varsity’s Vice-Chancellor Dr Mujahid Kamran on the second day on Tuesday.

The teachers gathered on The Mall once again outside the Punjab Assembly and were carrying banners inscribed with slogans and resentment over the move. 

PU faculty members also met Higher Education Department (HED) Secretary to convey their grievances to him. “He assured us that he would convey our grievances to the chief minister, they sad. However, we will continue our protest until the merit is upheld and our university is saved from allegedly becoming a private property,” said Samee Uzair, Assistant Professor, at University Law College who along with others met the HED Secretary on Tuesday.

The teachers said Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif had announced in the most crucial conditions not to take any extension adding, however, Punjab government had unlawfully granted extension to Dr Mujahid Kamran as interim VC at Punjab University. 

The protesting teachers also said “Is there no other competent teacher to replace him in the population of 200 million people or is there some “special task” which only he can complete. He has turned 65.” 

“We want him removed from the office and the senior most professor at the varsity should be appointed as acting VC in accordance with the University Act,” the teachers further said 

PU Syndicate Member Javed Sami, Shumaila Gull, Law College faculty member Samee Uzair, Dr Shahbaz Cheema, former Member Syndicate Dr Ismatuallah participated, along with their colleagues, in the protest.

Meanwhile, in a press release issued on Tuesday the PU Academic Staff Association announced that it would stage a massive rally to thank Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif for the appointment of Punjab University VC Dr Mujahid Kamran ‘in recognition of his meritorious services in bringing PU to the new heights.’ 

The teachers will stage a rally on Wednesday (today) from Al Raazi Hall of Undergraduate Studies in which a large number of teachers from all the departments will participate.

In their press statement, ASA President Prof Dr Hasan Mobeen Alam and Secretary Dr Mahboob Hussain said the university teachers had expressed their gratitude to ASA leadership on exposing few elements who had allegedly been found guilty of various wrongdoings and were facing inquiries.

They said these elements wanted to reverse the progress made by PU in the recent years in all the disciplines.

They said overwhelming majority of teachers supported the policies of the incumbent administration.