University politics: FAPUASA calls off protest after govt gives in

Sindh govt said they will withdraw the appointments ad

HYDERABAD: The teachers and officers of Sindh's government universities have called off their protests.

The announcement comes a day after the Sindh government reportedly gave assurances that it would withdraw the advertisement for the appointment of 16 BPS-20 registrars and 18 BPS-20 controllers of examinations for various varsities in the province.

"The protest is being suspended till August 20 on the government's assurance that it will withdraw the advertisement," said a statement issued after a meeting of the Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (Fapuasa) and the Sindh Universities' Officers Federation on Wednesday.

The government advertised the posts on July 17, after which the teachers and officers demanded that the syndicate of each higher education institution should have the right to fill these positions. They considered it an infringement of their autonomy.

A six-member delegation of Fapuasa, led by its provincial president Dr Ayaz Keerio, met the Sindh Higher Education Commission (HEC) secretary, Iqbal Durrani, on August 10 where Durrani assured the delegation that they would withdraw the posts before August 20, when the two sides will hold the next round of meetings.

The following day Fapuasa submitted an application to the provincial HEC, requesting implementation of its May 2014 agreement with former law minister Sikandar Mandhro and former secretary universities and boards Mumtaz Ali Shah.

The agreement assured the teachers that the provincial government will not make any appointment on the high level administrative positions in the varsities and that the power for these appointments will be given back to the university syndicates by amending the Sindh Universities Law (Amendment) Act, 2013.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 13^th, 2015.