Sargodha University faculty, workers stage protest

Protesters say government has not approved varsity’s 2014-15 budget.

SARGODHA: Faculty members and employees of the University of Sargodha (UoS) staged a protest demonstration on Tuesday over the stoppage of university funds.

The governor, who is the chancellor of the university, had earlier returned the proposed Rs3.5 billion budget for the year 2014-15 for not having been approved by the university’s syndicate.

The protesting employees later gathered at the MBA Hall. Addressing them, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences dean Ghulam Yaseen said that the government should release the funds as soon as possible. “The payment of salaries to the university’s 2,500 employees and research work has been halted after the rejection of the budget,” he said. “We appeal to the government and the Higher Education Department to release the funds for the university,” he said. UoS Controller of Examinations Muhammad Iqbal said that more than 28,000 students were enrolled in the university’s main campus and two sub-campuses. “The future of these students has been put at stake due to the tussle between members of the syndicate,” he said.

Dr Nazra Sultana, Dr Zaffar Iqbal, Dr Alamgir, Dr Mudassar Shah, Gul Sher Butt, Muhammad Asif and Nargis Abbas also spoke.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 29^th, 2014.