KARACHI: Teachers at Karachi University (KU) held a demonstration and boycotted classes on Tuesday in protest against what they described as a “derogatory attitude” of the secretary of the universities and boards department, who recently participated in the proceedings of selection boards and declared them null and void on grounds that the vice chancellor needed to take prior permission for the process from the government.

“This means any officer can come and dictate the vice chancellor. This is unprecedented in KU’s history and will not be tolerated,” said Karachi University Teachers Society (Kuts) president Prof Shah Ali ul Qader.

Speaking at a press conference held on the campus, he demanded that the chief minister remove the official from his position.

The university, he pointed out, was autonomous under its Act to carry out its functions including setting up selection boards to suggest recommendations for appointments to the syndicate.

Kuts asks chief minister to remove boards and universities secretary

He regretted that the vice chancellor could not take a firm stand on the university’s autonomous status. “How could an acting VC go against a government officer? The government has deliberately deprived six universities including KU of a regular vice chancellor for many years that has adversely affected administrative and educational activities of these institutions.”

It might be recalled that two of the three selection boards of the departments of Zoology and Food Science were being held in response to 2014 adverts. The advertisement for the third selection board being held on court’s orders for the Institute of Environmental Studies came in 2019.

The selection boards were scheduled for Jan 31. The selection boards, he said, only had the authority to make recommendations and the appointing authority was the syndicate.

“We tried to explain to the official that the selection boards had already been delayed for several years, creating frustration in the teaching community. If he has any reservations, he can communicate with the syndicate. In response, we were told that other public sector universities also took permission for selection boards and KU needed to do the same,” he said.

Teachers at the presser argued that the official in question could have conveyed the concerns over the selection boards when he was informed about the scheduled meeting a week in advance.

“His criminal silence for a week is reflective of the feudal mindset that the government has adopted towards entire Sindh, particularly Karachi. The official also committed contempt of court when he showed no respect to the fact that one of the selection boards is withheld on court orders,” said Prof Ali ul Qader, adding that 500 candidates had applied for the selection board pending since 2019.

Teachers also spoke of the financial difficulties university across Sindh had been facing for a long time, calling upon the government to release suspended funds.

Published in Dawn, February 2nd, 2022