On-going struggle : Teachers warn of black day on Aug 5

KARACHI:

Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (Fapuasa) announced to observe a black day across the country on August 5, if the advertisement for the posts of 16 university registrars and 18 controllers of examinations vacancies are not retracted. The posts were advertised on July 17.

“Teachers will boycott classes and observe a black day if our demands are not entertained,” said Fapuasa’s Sindh president Dr Ayaz Keerio. “We are giving the government a time frame of two weeks to resolve all these issues or else we will call a general body meeting on August 12,” Keerio announced.

He also said that Fapuasa will call a meeting to discuss the credibility and seriousness of the government and to discuss further steps if
the Government of Sindh does not take back their decision of appointments on specific posts.

“Only specific posts have been advertised. Why this discrimination?” he lamented, “They will do the same to university education, what they did to schools and colleges all over Sindh.”

Fapuasa president Naimatullah Laghari also criticised Iqbal Durrani, the University and Boards secretary, claiming that Durrani should not interfere in the matter. He doesn’t even have the time to meet us and resolve the issues, he said.

“Previously, the government appointed its favourites as controllers and registrars and they are doing the same again,” Laghari pointed out.

“It is shameful to boycott classes and protest on roads but we have no choice,” said Dr Jamil Hassan Kazmi, KU teachers’ society president. Government should implement the proposals it agreed to last year, he demanded.

Protesting against the grant released for the family of Dr Waheedur Rehman, Keerio said that they do not accept this compensation amount. “The promised amount was Rs15 million while the released amount is just Rs1.5 million,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 28^th, 2015.