KARACHI:
The situation at the University of Karachi is painful not only for teachers, but for the entire academic community. The current protest should not be seen as an act of comfort, convenience or hostility towards students. It is a response to a longstanding financial and administrative crisis that has gradually affected the dignity, mental peace and professional functioning of faculty members.
For months, teachers have faced delays in legitimate dues and unresolved financial matters. These are not privileges or unnecessary demands, but rightful payments connected with household responsibilities, emotional stability and professional commitment. A teacher living under constant financial uncertainty cannot be expected to perform teaching, research, supervision and examination duties with complete peace of mind.
The crisis, however, is not confined to teachers. Non-teaching staff are also essential to the functioning of the university. Their delayed payments, poor facilities, uncertain working conditions and administrative neglect weaken the entire institutional system.
Students are also serious victims of this situation. Their difficulties are not limited to delayed examinations. Their learning suffers when laboratories lack basic facilities, classrooms are overcrowded or poorly maintained, libraries are under-resourced, internet and digital access are weak, transport remains problematic and departments struggle with basic academic needs. Quality education cannot survive on announcements and schedules alone; it requires real institutional support.
At its core, the crisis is administrative as much as financial. Repeated concerns have not been addressed with seriousness, transparency or respect. Delays, unclear decisions and alleged pressure tactics have deepened mistrust. A university should be a place of dialogue, academic freedom and fairness, not fear and intimidation.
The examination boycott, therefore, has not emerged suddenly or lightly. It reflects accumulated frustration and helplessness. This protest is not against students; it is against a system that has failed teachers, employees and students alike. What is urgently needed is meaningful dialogue, payment of legitimate dues, protection of employees’ rights, improved student facilities and a serious plan to rescue the university from its financial, academic and administrative crisis.
Dr Intikhab Ulfat
Karachi
