Class dismissed: Teachers protest against postponement of selection board

Disgruntled teachers march from administration block to institution’s main gate, carrying banners and placards.

MANSEHRA:

Teachers from various departments of Hazara University (HU) protested on Friday against the postponement of a special meeting scheduled to deliberate over promotions and new appointments. They threatened to continue boycotting classes unless their demands are met.

Headed by the vice chancellor, a selection board comprising 11 members was scheduled to meet last week to conduct interviews of candidates seeking promotions and the new appointments of jobs classified for basic pay scale 17 and above.

According to sources privy to the matter, the meeting was deferred for an indefinite period as some board members could not attend the moot.

The disgruntled teachers marched from the administration block to the institution’s main gate, carrying banners and placards.

Speaking on the occasion, Academic Staff Association President Dr Naseer Khattak accused the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government of violating its own manifesto. On one hand the ruling party made claims that it believed in merit-based appointments, but on the other hand, it was planning to disband the selection board that would deliberate on worthy candidates, he added. The board included deans of different departments, subject experts, and members of both the Higher Education Commission as well as the Public Service Commission.

He said that delaying the meeting is jeopardising academic affairs, including the promotions of 50 foreign PhD and 150 MPhil scholars.

Another member of the academic staff association, Afzal Noroz, accused PTI’s provincial president Azam Khan Swati of meddling and told protesters their organisation would visit PTI Chairman Imran Khan to discuss their problems.

He warned that unless their demands were met, they would continue their protest by wearing black armbands and boycotting classes for one hour every Wednesday.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 5^th, 2014.