Teachers at both the Abdul Haq and Gulshan campuses of the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science & Technology (Fuuast) boycotted examinations in several departments on Monday in protest against the continued non-payment of employees’ salaries and pensions, the suspension of house-ceiling payments for the past 25 months, and the discontinuation of medical facilities.
The protest was launched on the joint appeal of the university’s teachers association, representing faculty members at both campuses, with the stated objective of drawing the attention of the federal government, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the Fuuast administration to what it described as a “deepening financial and administrative crisis” at the institution.
At the Abdul Haq campus, the quantitative reasoning exam was completely boycotted in a number of departments, including mass communication, international relations, Urdu, English, Sindhi, general history, Islamic studies, political science, Arabic, special education, teacher education, social work, economics, commerce and business administration.
According to the teachers association, the university administration and some deans attempted to persuade faculty members to abandon the boycott, but the protest remained largely effective.
During the afternoon shift, only one exam each was conducted in the departments of psychology, social work and international relations, while faculty members in most other departments continued the boycott.
A similar situation was reported at the Gulshan campus, where exams in mathematics, statistics, microbiology, biotechnology, biochemistry, zoology, botany, geology, computer science, law, commerce, business administration, mass communication and pharmacy were also affected by the protest action.
The teachers association maintained that the crisis extended beyond faculty and employees, and was increasingly affecting students and the overall academic environment of the university.
It pointed to a shortage of essential chemicals in laboratories, outdated equipment and systems in computer labs, a lack of access to safe drinking water, and inadequate provision of other basic facilities.
The association warned that the deteriorating conditions were adversely impacting the quality of education and undermining the university’s academic standing, urging the authorities to take immediate measures to address the institution’s financial difficulties and restore essential services.
Meanwhile, Fuuast Registrar Dr Syed Inayat Ali Shah has said that all university exams would be conducted according to the announced schedule, and that the administration would not allow students’ academic future to be jeopardised under any circumstances.
In a statement issued on Monday, the registrar said that the majority of the university’s teachers had demonstrated a sense of professional responsibility by rejecting the boycott call given by the teachers association and ensuring the continuation of the exam process.
He directed all deans and heads of academic departments to make certain that exams are conducted without disruption and in accordance with the approved schedule. Dr Shah warned that if any miscreants attempt to forcibly halt exams, disrupt the exam process or prevent students from taking their papers, the relevant head of department should immediately report the matter in writing to the registrar’s office so that prompt action can be taken in accordance with the law and university regulations.
