KARACHI: A general body meeting of the Karachi University Teachers Society (Kuts) decided on Thursday that teachers would not perform election duties and would resist all attempts by any law enforcement agency to arrest a teacher over non-compliance.

The meeting, sources said, was held after dozens of women teachers complained that they had received ‘harassing phone calls’ on Wednesday, warning them of arrests if they did not show up for the training sessions being organised for election preparations.

“We all are shocked to know that our female colleagues are being threatened and forced to show up for election training. Is this how civilised societies treat their teachers, researchers and scholars? Are teachers criminals?” said Dr Moiz Khan, the Kuts secretary.

Dozens of women teachers complained that they received ‘harassing’ phone calls from the election commission office

Phone calls, according to him, came from the election commission office to at least 50 women teachers, adding that not a single male teacher received such a call.

“Teachers are alarmed over this situation. Many of our female colleagues couldn’t sleep last night and are depressed. If a single teacher is harmed over this issue, all teachers will court arrest,” he said, adding that the university vice chancellor had written a letter to the provincial election commissioner over teachers’ concerns.

KU teachers also condemned what they described as ‘insulting language’ used in the notice recently issued by the office of the deputy commissioner Karachi, East, to the teaching and non-teaching staff of the university through the registrar for “not cooperating with the District Election Commission in discharging election duty”.

The notice, dated June 5 says: “Take notice and be informed that you have been called upon to perform duty during upcoming general elections-2018. You were directed by the District Election Commissioner to attend mandatory training for assistant presiding officers and polling officers vide letter dated Sept 11, 2017. However, you failed to attend the orientation/training session of assistant presiding officers/polling officers. Such failure on your part [is] tantamount to violation of Section 184 (c) of the Election Act, 2017.

“The commission reserves the right to initiate disciplinary proceedings against you in light of Section 55 of the Election Act. Be advised that violation of Section 184 (c) is also a penal offence which carries punishment under Section 188 of the Election Act 2017 (reproduced as under).

“(Section 188) Penalty for violation of official duty in connection with election — an election official or any other person on duty in connection with an election who is guilty of an offence under Section 184, Section 186 or Section 187 shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may be extended to two years or with fine which may extend to one hundred thousand rupees or with both.

“Also cognizance of such ignorant behaviour can be taken under Section 174 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

“Accordingly, you are therefore directed to report to the office of the District Election Commissioner, Karachi East, by June 6, 2018, failing to which disciplinary and penal action will be initiated against you.”

Prof Shah Ali-ul-Qadar, the vice president of teachers’ society, explained that the KU teachers, like other universities in the country, had been receiving exemption from election duties since 1992.

“It’s not just the KU as there are many other institutions of higher learning, for instance the Karachi Medical Dental College, Institute of Business Administration, Dow University of Health Sciences, Sindh University, Mehran University, Punjab University and Peshawar University, where teachers are exempted from election duties,” he said, adding that this practice meant to support teachers engaged in research.

The KU administration, he said, had already sent a list of 1,800 non-teaching staff to the election commission. Of them, the commission had rejected 600 names as they did not meet their criteria.

Sources said that these developments were linked to the list of 400 teachers and non-teaching staff sent to the election commission by a former vice chancellor. Teachers couldn’t raise their concerns regarding election duty at a higher level at the proper time.

Upon contact, KU vice chancellor Prof Mohammad Ajmal Khan said: “We are contacting officials at different levels and trying to convey our concerns. If they remained unconvinced then teachers have to perform duties during election days as it’s a national duty.”

Published in Dawn, June 8th, 2018