Urdu University teachers call off exam boycott

Vow to continue protest against VC, cite financial crunch, administrative crisis

KARACHI:

The teachers' associations of Federal Urdu University have announced the end of their boycott of the examination process while vowing to continue their protest against the vice chancellor (VC) until their demands are accepted.

The decision was taken during a joint meeting of teachers' associations from both campuses, held at the Science Campus auditorium on Thursday. According to a joint statement issued by Dr Iqbal Naqvi, Secretary of the Teachers' Association Abdul Haq Campus, and Iftikhar Tahiri, Secretary of the Science Campus, the decision to call off the exam boycott was made in the larger interest of students.

The decision to end the examination boycott came after the Higher Education Commission (HEC) constituted a committee to probe the administration's performance.

In the statement, the teachers demanded that the VC be held accountable. They declared that their protest movement would continue until all their demands were met.

The meeting expressed deep concern over the severe financial and administrative crisis facing the university, the VC's persistent absenteeism, and alleged harassment of female faculty members.

According to resolutions passed during the meeting, the current VC, Prof Dr Zabita Khan Shinwari, has been held solely responsible for the worsening financial, administrative and ethical crisis at the varsity. The teachers asserted that the VC had completely failed to resolve the university's financial and administrative problems.

"If the vice chancellor does not possess the capability to address these issues, he should immediately step down from his office without wasting the time of the university, students, faculty and support staff," the meeting demanded.

The teachers welcomed the formation of a high-powered inquiry committee by the Higher Education Commission on the directives of Federal Education Minister and Pro-Chancellor Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui to review the decisions made during the tenure of VC Shinwari.

The meeting demanded that the reports and recommendations of this committee, as well as those of previously formed panels, be presented at relevant forums and implemented without any delay.