LARKANA: Academic act­i­­­vi­ties on the campus rem­ained suspended on Tuesday when the teachers of Shaheed Mohtarma Bena­zir Bhutto Medical Univer­sity (SMBBMU) and its affiliated institutions boyco­t­ted clas­ses to press for the accep­tance of their demands.

Under the flag of SMBBMU Teachers Asso­cia­tion, they staged a sit-in at the administration block led by Dr Abdul Rasheed Sha­ikh, convener of the association, and Dr Waheed Surhiyo.

The protesters were carrying banners and chanting slogans.

Speaking to the protesters, the two leaders urged the university managers for giving representation to lecturers, assistant professors and associate professors in the syndicate and academic council.

Criticising the administration for adopting delaying tactics, they said that due and overdue promotions should immediately be made to control the growing unrest among teachers. It was the height of ignorance that the retired teachers were not getting post-retirement benefits and even they were waiting for pensions, they said.

Others who joined the protest were Prof Dr Abdul Wah­ab Shaikh, Dr Asif Gaad, Prof Dr Safdar Shaikh, Dr Shabana Jam­shaid, Dr Farheen Soo­mro, Prof Koro Mal Gurba­kh­shani and Prof Amar Dod­dani. They were representing different departments of Chandka Medical Col­lege, Bibi Assefa Dental Col­lege, Benazir Institute of Nursing and Community Health and the pharmacy department.

They also demanded two year-leave encashment and other incentives.

On the occasion, they also called for initiating a probe into 10-year development works carried out on the university campus.

Endorsing the demands of the Federation of All Pakistan University Acade­mic Staff Association (Fapu­asa), they announced to continue their protest unless their demands are accepted and till then academic activities will remain shut.

The leaders of the teachers association claimed that such protest was also held at Ghulam Muhammed Medi­cal College Sukkur on Tuesday.

Published in Dawn, January 31st, 2018