PESHAWAR, Dec 6: The management of the Khyber Medical University (KMU) has promoted 55 professors working for its constituent colleges from BPS-20 to BPS-21.

The decision, officials said, had been made in line with the Higher Education Commission (HEC) rules. The university had been set up earlier this year, necessitating the upgrading of its teachers.

According to the HEC rules, the posts of lecturers, senior registrars, assistant professors, associate professors and professors would be upgraded to BPS-18, 19, 20 and 21, respectively. The decision would benefit about 700 faculty members.

Meanwhile, a meeting of the NWFP Basic Medical Sciences Teachers’ Association criticised the move and said that the university administration had ignored about 100 teachers of the basic sciences in the province.

The meeting was held on Thursday with Prof Dr Jamilur Rehman, the association’s president, in the chair. It was also attended by Prof Dr Zahid Hussain Khalil, president of the Khyber Medical College Teachers’ Association.

The meeting expressed concern that the faculty deans referred the cases to the university syndicate. It said the last Senate’s meeting had recommended upgrading their status.

“It is against the spirit of the Senate’s decision. We are afraid that such discrepancy in dates of upgradation could alter the seniority of KMU teachers,” it said.

The participants demanded that the promotions should be made in light of the Senate’s decision.

Sources at the KMU said that a meeting of the Senate had been held three months ago, which had recommended the upgradation of teachers of the clinical sciences departments.

Source at the KMU said that about 60 teachers in basic science departments would not be upgraded because they didn’t possess PhDs.