Students suffer as teachers boycott classes at Karachi University.
• Kuts claims support of students, non-teaching staff
• PSF to hold protest today against ‘corrupt teachers’
KARACHI: Amid silence from the official quarters over students’ academic loss, teachers at Karachi University (KU) went ahead with their planned protest and observed a complete boycott of classes and labs on Tuesday over the administration’s prolonged delay in holding selection boards for appointments pending since 2019.
Sources said the attendance of students was thin as the majority of them being aware of the heightened situation on the campus preferred to stay away from the university.
The day, the sources said, also saw the Karachi University Teachers’ Society (Kuts) engaged in intensive efforts to get support from other stakeholders on their demands.
“Today, we have launched a consultation process with associations representing non-teaching staff members and student bodies and received a very positive response,” Dr. Faizan Naqvi representing Kuts told Dawn, adding that the meetings attracted a large number of teachers, students, and other employees.
According to him, the attendees included representatives of the United Officers’ Association, Mulazmeen Ittehad, Voice of Centres, Insaf Pasand Group, Balochistan Student Front, Imamia Students Organisation, Pakhtun Students Council, All Pakistan Mohajir Students Organisation and Islami Jamiat Talaba.
They all expressed solidarity with teachers and supported their stance over delayed selection boards and the university’s financial crisis. Representatives of the non-teaching staff members were of the opinion that they should forget conflicts of the past and get united for a larger cause,” Dr. Naqvi shared.
Representatives of the teachers’ society would be meeting the city chief of the
Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman on Wednesday (today) to apprise him of the prevailing situation at KU, he said.
Students’ bodies were dismayed by the situation
However, representatives of the JI at the KU expressed their dismay over the campus situation which resulted in students’ loss.
“This situation is causing academic and financial loss to students who pay six-month semester fees in advance. We demand that teachers withdraw this boycott and resume their academic activities,” stated Engineer Osama Aqil in a press statement.
He also criticized the government and university administration for failing to address the genuine grievances of teachers and non-teaching staff.
Expressing resentment over the teachers’ boycott of classes, the Peoples Students Federation (PSF) announced to hold a protest on Wednesday on the campus.
Teachers are enjoying their time at home while students hailing from far-flung areas have been deprived of their precious academic time. This must end,” said a PSF statement.
The KU teachers have been demanding the start of the appointment process for the posts advertised in 2019. The situation took a serious turn last year when the secretary of universities and boards declared proceedings of the selection boards null and void on grounds that the vice chancellor needed to take prior permission for the process from the provincial government. The demand remained unaddressed the whole year.