FAPUASA plans protest against IIUI management

University disallows meeting at Faisal Mosque campus

ISLAMABAD: Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA) has announced countrywide black day against the anti-democratic and irresponsible attitude of the administration of International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI).

IIUI management had locked the university auditorium where a meeting was arranged by the association to deliberate over academic and administrative reforms in higher education sector.

According to IIUI, the meeting had four agendas, including academic freedom, university autonomy, public interest, and higher education scenario post 18th Constitutional Amendment.

The representatives of teaching staff belonging to public sector universities across the country, gathered on Tuesday morning at Allama Iqbal Auditorium International Islamic University Islamabad Faisal Mosque campus, but the doors were closed and locked from within.

The faculty, which also included women, were not even allowed to sit at any other alternative place and hence they held a protest in front of main entrance of the campus. The teachers chanted slogans over curtailing academic freedom and disrespecting university faculty.  They demanded Prime Minister Khaqan Abbasi to take serious notice of maltreatment of university teachers in the federal capital.

The speakers pointed out that situation at IIUI reflects overall repressive and dictatorial control over higher education sector and institutions across the country.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 9^th, 2017.