KARACHI: The ongoing unrest at the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science, and Technology (FUUAST) intensified on Thursday when a significant number of teachers and non-teaching staff blocked University Road in protest against the prolonged delay in salaries, dues, pensions, and the withdrawal of the rental ceiling allowance.

Holding banners and chanting slogans against the university administration, the staff staged a sit-in on the road, causing a traffic jam that lasted for hours.

The protest followed a general body meeting at the university’s Gulshan-i-Iqbal campus, where staff members unanimously passed a resolution to boycott academic and administrative work until their demands were met.

Retired employees, the teachers said, had been deprived of their pensions for months, while the university administration had decided to withdraw the rental ceiling allowance. They also pointed out that the medical facility for employees had been closed for almost a year, and salary delays had become a routine issue on campus.

In a statement following the general body meeting, the teachers’ society held the university administration responsible for the institution’s financial crisis, which was causing unrest on campus and disrupting academic and administrative activities.

The society also criticised the issuance of show-cause notices to employees and called on the administration to take immediate measures to address the staff’s grievances.

In its response, the university administration alleged that the protestors had manhandled administrative staff, including a female employee, during the demonstration.

The administration further claimed that “a few teachers and non-teaching staff are trying to disrupt the peaceful environment of the campus for their personal gain, including the payment of the rental ceiling allowance, by using illegal means.”

“The majority of teachers and non-teaching staff have rejected these elements, and teaching and administrative activities are continuing in most departments,” it asserted.

Regarding the rental ceiling allowance, the administration explained that the university had set up a committee to review applicants’ documents and that the allowance would be granted in accordance with relevant laws.

The university acknowledged that it had been facing a financial crisis for years due to several illegal appointments, corruption, and the absence of a permanent vice chancellor, and added that the administration was working to address employees’ grievances.

Published in Dawn, September 13th, 2024