Karachi University Teachers’ Society (KUTS) held a meeting on Thursday, announcing a boycott of teaching classes from Friday (today), demanding the Chief Minister of Sindh to take immediate notice of the administrative crisis at the University of Karachi.
Express Tribune spoke with KUTS secretary, Faizan Naqvi, who explained that regular and visiting faculty members have not received their evening program salaries for over a year and a half, and the total amount owed exceeds Rs70 million.
This means that the evening program is operating at a loss.
Naqvi highlighted that all university employees are being paid their salaries except for the teachers. Currently, there are around 250 permanent teachers for the part-time evening program.
Demands
Karachi University Teachers Association has announced a complete boycott of the teaching process from Friday. The decision to boycott was taken in a general body meeting organised by the teachers association.
The teachers’ association has also demanded an investigation by the commission for the non-approval of the university budget for six years.
The participants of the meeting expressed their anger over the appointment of part-time teachers at six hundred rupees per lecture and non-payment of salaries to them for more than six months and a year.
They demanded that the dues evening classes should be paid in full and on an immediate basis.
Moreover, they pressed upon the restoration of exemption in MPhil and PhD fees should be restored immediately.
They highlighted that handling of administrative matters is the responsibility of the Sheikh-ul-Jamia and the management team, not the teachers. That being said, ad hoc Assistant Professor appointment of Ph.D. teachers approved by the syndicate should also be restored.
The meeting demanded for immediate release of funds for the revival of research in the university; that the budget of the university, which has not been approved for the last six years, is financial corruption and must be investigated by a commission. The hike announced in Budget 2023 should be included in salaries without delay.
