Education in K-P: University teachers demand raise

Teachers also boycotted the vice the chancellors’ meeting to resolve issues in higher education on Tuesday.

PESHAWAR:

Public sector university teachers associations across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa have demanded raise in salaries as announced in the budget for the government employees. They threatened to boycott taking classes if their demand was not met.

They also boycotted the vice the chancellors’ meeting to resolve issues in higher education on Tuesday.

They criticised the government for not fulfilling its commitment to raise the salaries of teachers in the universities.

Provincial President of Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Associations at Agricultural University Peshawar Humayun Khan urged the government to increase the higher education budget, make it proportional to increased salaries and release any outstanding money to the universities.

Meanwhile, Peshawar University Teachers Association President Jamil Ahmad said that even though the 2012-13 budget ensured 20 per cent increase in the salaries of all the employees but nothing has come of it.

He appealed to the provincial assembly to take notice of this irregularity and address their demands. University of Peshawar Vice Chancellor Qibla Ayaz, “we feel that the university employees deserve to get 20 per cent increase in salary as announced in budget, which is their right.

The university has not received the necessary funds and will take the issue directly to the relevant authorities and fight the cause of its employees and students,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 19^th, 2012.