KARACHI: Academic activities would remain suspended at Karachi University (KU) for a fourth consecutive day on Friday as “trust deficit and skepticism” marred the negotiations held between the protesting teachers and the vice chancellor on Thursday, sources told Dawn.

The meeting was held in the backdrop of media reports that the chief minister had granted permission to the university to hold 2019 selection boards – a key demand presented by teachers who have been boycotting classes and administrative responsibilities on the campus since Feb 14.

“We have serious doubts about the assurances given to us [by the vice chancellor] in the meeting. This is why teachers have decided to go ahead with their press briefing scheduled for Friday (today),” Prof Solaha Rahman heading Karachi University Teachers’ Society (Kuts) said.

Sharing details of the meeting, she said vice chancellor Prof Khalid M. Iraqi accepted all key demands of the teachers and assured Kuts’ delegation that the VC would soon release a schedule of the 2019 selection boards related to all teaching posts; lecturer, assistant professor, associate professor and professor.

The vice chancellor, she pointed out, agreed to start holding the selection boards by Feb 25 of all those departments which were ready to go for the process. He also expressed his willingness to withdraw the case the university was pursuing against the newly-appointed teachers of the mass communication department and release held-up dues of the evening classes.

Kuts general body puts off decision on boycott till Monday

“But, later in the day, we received a copy of the notification released by the universities and board department. It showed that the government has granted permission for holding only those selection boards that pertain to the posts of associate professor and professor. This came as a shock to us,” the Kuts president said.

The society, she said, had no option but to hold the presser scheduled for Friday to inform the media about the developments.

“Second, only the general body of Kuts can withdraw the call for the boycott as this decision was taken by all teachers with consensus,” she explained, adding that Kuts’ general body meeting scheduled for Monday would take a decision on classes’ boycott.

Sources said that what fuelled mistrust between the vice chancellor and teachers on Thursday was secretary universities and boards’ clarification that the latter received in a meeting the same day.

The secretary informed Kuts’ delegation that KU had sought permission for holding selection boards for only two posts; associate professor and professor.

It may be recalled that KU teachers have been demanding the start of the appointment process for the posts advertised in 2019. The situation took a serious turn last year when the secretary of universities and boards declared proceedings of the selection boards null and void on grounds that the vice chancellor needed to take prior permission for the process from the provincial government. The demand remained unaddressed the whole year.

Last week, the teachers started a partial boycott of classes, which then turned into a complete suspension of academic and administrative activities this week.

A few days back, Kuts passed a unanimous resolution threatening the vice chancellor with a movement seeking his resignation if he failed to meet the demands by Friday (Feb 17). The demands now include payment of salaries to the newly-appointed teachers at the mass communication department.

Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2023