Sindh Minister for Universities & Boards Ismail Rahoo has taken notice of the 40-day-long protest and boycott of classes and examinations by teachers, officers and employees of the University of Karachi, and convened a high-level meeting at the Sindh Higher Education Commission (SHEC) on June 9 (today) in an effort to resolve the crisis.
Rahoo said students have suffered significant academic losses due to the prolonged boycott of exams, prompting the government to invite representatives of the Karachi University Teachers’ Society, officers’ associations and employees’ unions for talks.
The meeting will be attended by SHEC Chairman Dr Tariq Rafi, Universities & Boards Secretary Abbas Baloch, SHEC Secretary Nauman Ahsan, and Charter Inspection & Evaluation Committee head Dr Sarosh Lodi.
Rahoo said the meeting would review the demands and grievances of university teachers and employees, as well as issues related to the institution’s administration and finances. He added that the government would formulate a roadmap to address legitimate concerns while urging stakeholders to call off the protest and exam boycott in the larger interest of students.
The development comes nearly 10 days after representatives of the teachers’ society reportedly assured a meeting chaired by Dr Rafi that they would end the boycott if a committee is constituted to examine alleged financial and administrative irregularities at the university.
The government subsequently notified the forming of the committee, and the notification also referred to the expected withdrawal of the boycott. However, when the matter was placed before the teachers’ society’s general body meeting the following day, members declined to endorse the proposal. According to sources, the general body opposed ending the protest, and decided to continue both the agitation and the boycott of exams.
