Universities in Sindh to remain closed for two more days

Universities across Sindh will remain closed on Thursday and Friday as part of an ongoing boycott of academic activities, the Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA) announced.

The move comes amid protests against the Sindh Universities Amendment Bill, which proposes appointing bureaucrats as vice-chancellors and hiring teachers on a contractual basis.

The decision was made during a FAPUASA Sindh meeting. A statement from Karachi University's teachers’ association revealed that a protest and press conference will be held outside the Karachi Press Club at 11 am on Thursday.

The protests, which have been ongoing for a week, are set to escalate as teachers move into Karachi's Red Zone.

Demonstrators are expected to highlight their concerns about the legislation, which they argue undermines academic independence. The Sindh government and university faculty remain deadlocked over the issue.

Public universities across Sindh have been closed, and teaching activities suspended, since the protests began. The teachers’ union has also called for demonstrations at university campuses on Friday. Political parties may join the protest efforts, with press conferences expected from FAPUASA Sindh leadership.

Karachi University Teachers’ Association representative Ma’ruf Bin Rauf confirmed that academic activities would remain suspended for the remainder of the week. “We strongly oppose the amendment bill, which compromises the autonomy of universities,” he said.

Despite calls for dialogue, no resolution has been reached, prolonging the stalemate between the Sindh government and educators.