3,000 private students suffer after exam postponed without prior notice

Papers could not be printed due to strike of KU non-teaching staff

KARACHI: Due to a communication gap between the employee's association representatives and administration of Karachi University (KU), private candidates of master of arts had to suffer on Thursday morning as they reached the university to appear for their examination only to find out that it had been rescheduled.

"We reached the university at 8am as our examination was to start at 9am but after reaching we were informed that today's paper will not be conducted," said Aisha Ali, a student enrolled in a private programme, who had left her one-year-old daughter at home. The varsity administration should have announced that the paper was postponed last night so that the candidates would not have to suffer while fasting, she complained.

Another protesting student, Fahad Kamran, lamented that he had to take the day off from his job to appear in the paper. "If [university] employees were on strike since June 14, why did the administration not announce the postponement of the exam on time?" he questioned.



The reason for the postponement of the exam was a strike of the varsity's non-teaching staff on the issue of non-payment of leave encashment. The non-teaching staff had contended that they will not work until they are given their dues. Leave encashment is a one-month salary given to employees who opt not to take their annual leave.

"The representatives of non-teaching staff conveyed their message to the vice-chancellor (VC) for approval of leave encashment but some miscommunication happened from the administrative side and the non-teaching staff were told that they will not be given the sum," said Zia who is former general secretary of the employees association.

In response to the denial of the leave encashment by KU VC Prof Dr Muhammad Ajmal Khan, the non-teaching staff stopped working on Wednesday. Resultantly, the papers that were to be held on Thursday never went for printing, due to which the controller of examinations had to postpone the exam. Dr Khan later announced that an advance Eid pay would be granted to all non-teaching Muslim regular employees of the varsity and its affiliated centres and institutes.



The papers have been rescheduled for today (Friday) at the same timings and locations. Controller of Examinations Arshad Azmi said around 3,000 students enrolled for the MA programmes will be appearing for the rescheduled exams.

Students protested against the varsity's mismanagement in front of the new administration building but dispersed after they were assured that the exam will be conducted the next day. The students' protest was followed by a protest by three employees' groups - the United group, Insaf Pasand group and Peoples Unity group - who demanded payment of the leave encashment. "We use this money for Eid. It is like a bonus for us that helps with our Eid shopping," explained a protesting employee.

There are around 1,700 employees at KU and their leave encashment amounts to around Rs50 million. "Around 1,200 members of non-teaching staff have submitted the forms to receive leave encashment till now," shared Zia.