At a standstill: Bannu University remains closed for 20th day amid strike

Talks between jirga elders and protesting staff end in deadlock.

BANNU: For the past 20 days, the students of University of Science and Technology Bannu have not seen the inside of a classroom. Not a single lecture has been delivered during these days.

The reason behind this anomaly is that the teachers of the university are on strike, demanding an end to the interference of the Vice Chancellor  (VC) in administrative work, an end to delayed salaries and the regularisation of contract teachers. Along with the teachers, a majority of the university’s administrative staff are also on strike leaving all university operations at a standstill.

Negotiations between jirga leaders and VC Abdur Rahim Marwat have ended in a deadlock; the teachers’ demands remain unfulfilled and the university remained closed.

Qaumi Jirga leaders including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz central leader Haji Nawab Khan, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl’s Qari Muhammad Abdullah, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf district leader Malik Alam Khan and Transport Association President Malik Maqbool Khan met the protesting teachers on Wednesday. However, the employees decided to continue the strike until their demands are met.

Furthermore, Bannu Chamber of Commerce General Secretary Pir Ismail Shah, Bannu Teachers Association President Professor Abdul Nasir also participated in the protest camp on Wednesday and demanded the VC fulfil their demands.

Addressing the protest camp, Shah said that if the employees’ demands were not met, they would continue to protest and bring the entire district machinery to a standstill.

“VC Marwat is spoiling the peaceful environment of the university by his rigid behaviour which will further worsen the situation and he himself would be responsible for the result,” said University Teachers Association President Dr Zubair.

Meanwhile, the university’s students have demanded academic activities be immediately resumed or they would protest outside the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly and Governor House.

The Voice of Students society held a separate protest at the university campus led by President Uzair Khan.

“For the past 20 days we have been unable to take classes and our academic life is being affected,” said Khan, adding the university had been closed for an indefinite period because of the strike.

Khan further said if the VC is unable to rectify the situation then he should resign. “The university administration should heed the teachers’ demands and avoid further wastage of our time,” Khan maintained.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 27^th, 2014.