UoP VC, PUTA asked to submit replies

Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim of Peshawar High Court (PHC) has said that unnecessary strikes of lawyers have been banned by the court and there was no reason for university teachers to go on strike.

PHC on Tuesday issued notices to the Vice Chancellor (VC) University of Peshawar (UoP) and the Peshawar University Teachers’ Association (PUTA) over the boycott of classes. The two-member bench, comprising Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Justice SM Attiq Shah, while hearing the case filed by Jamiat Talba Islami against teachers’ protest at UoP expressed shock over the suspension of classes for a month.

The petitioners’ lawyer, Advocate Farooq Malik, informed the court that more than a month had passed since the teachers of the biggest university in the province were on a protest and had boycotted the classes. He said precious time of the students was being wasted due to the prolonged strike and their future was at stake as no party was showing flexibility to resolve the issue. Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim questioned the reason behind teachers’ protest and boycott of classes.

Advocate Farooq informed the bench that the teachers were demanding the resignation of the VC in the wake of the killing of a security supervisor by a security guard on the university campus.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 5^th, 2023.