Protest against Universities Law Amendment Bill continues

KU staff holds march to express dissatisfaction with the controversial bill

KARACHI: The Karachi University Teachers Society (KUTS) has vowed to remain committed to the revocation of the Sindh Universities Law Amendment Bill, 2018.

Members of KUTS marched on Monday from the Arts Lobby to Azadi Chowk to express their dissatisfaction with the Bill.

Participants showed up in droves and chanted slogans against the controversial legislation. ‘We do not accept the black law’, ‘Let universities be independent’ and ‘No compromise on the autonomy of the university’ were among a few of the slogans.

KUTS President Prof Jameel Kazmi spoke on the occasion and said that the varsity teachers rejected the Sindh Universities Law Amendment Bill 2018 outright. "We have been repeatedly deliberating on the matter with the government since 2013," the KUTS chief said. "However, the Sindh government has miserably failed in fulfilling its promises."

He added that the new bill will deprive the universities of their autonomy. The legislation is an attempt to jeopardise the system of the universities, as is the case with public schools and colleges of the province, said Prof Kazmi. He added that universities were institutions of higher education and research and depriving them of their autonomy will amount to depriving the country of impartial education and research.



"The appointment of Dr Asim Hussain as Sindh Higher Education Commission chairperson is against the law," Prof Kazmi accused. "Dr Asim will face a conflict of interest as he owns a private university himself," he said.

The KUTS head demanded that the provincial government fulfill its commitments and release the needed university grants.

Pasban holds protest

The corrupt rulers of Sindh are bent on killing and burying the education sector in the province and they have started this destructive process by giving the control of universities to the bureaucracy, said Pasban-e-Pakistan General Secretary Usman Moazzam while addressing a protest rally on Monday.

The social activist group staged the rally in front of the Karachi Press Club to condemn the Universities Laws Amendment Bill.

A large number of workers, teachers, students and civil society members carrying a symbolic coffin of education gathered at the press club and chanted slogans against the Sindh government.



Moazzam said the province’s rulers have virtually nailed the coffin of higher education shut in Sindh. He said these rulers want to push the people of Sindh back into the Stone Age.

He said passing a bill against the autonomy of universities amounts to terrorism against education. The Pasban leader went on to say that those involved in the destruction of education should be booked and terrorism cases lodged against them.

With additional input from PPI