University staff body threatens protest

Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA) has warned of a country-wide strike and protest against the attitude of University of Peshawar (UoP) management.

In a press statement issued on Sunday, FAPUSA said that employees and teachers of UoP have been on a strike against the attitude of university administration and vice chancellor without inviting any attention from the quarters concerned.

“This is for the third time in the past few months that the staffers are protesting but the attitude of the management is unfortunate,” says the statement, adding that all the genuine demands of the university employees and teachers should be accepted.

“Let us make it clear that we stand with the UoP employees and in the event of a prolonged protest and sit-in, FAPUASA will call a general body meeting to decide on province-wide or even country-wide protest,” added the statement.

Protest walk announced

On the other hand the joint action council (JAC) of UoP teachers and other staffers on Sunday announced a protest walk on University Road.

Talking to The Express Tribune officials of JAC said that teachers and staffers of all the universities located inside the UoP campus, known as greater campus, have been invited to participate. They made it clear that their protest will continue till the acceptance of all their demands.

“The protesters are going to march on the administration block of the UoP and the administration of the varsity will be responsible for any untoward incident,” said an official, adding that no pressure will be tolerated in this regard.

It may be mentioned here that teaching and non-teaching staff of the UoP started a protest on March 7 against the killing of a private security supervisor Saqlain Bangash. Bangash was killed inside the university campus when allegedly a guard dropped his gun and it fired hitting the supervisor.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 20^th, 2023.