The teachers’ strike at the University of Karachi (KU) will persist until their demands are met, as affirmed by Karachi University Teachers Society (KUTS) Secretary, Assistant Professor Dr. Syed Faizan-ul-Hassan Naqvi. This decision comes following a complete boycott of classes during both the morning and evening shifts, which commenced on September 22. The strike is set to continue indefinitely.
Dr. Naqvi cited the failure of the university administration to fulfill previous commitments as the primary reason behind their ongoing protest. He emphasized the need for immediate and concrete measures to address the concerns raised by the teachers.
Expressing appreciation for the Sindh caretaker chief minister’s intervention and his request for a report from the province’s secretary for university and boards regarding the situation, Dr. Naqvi noted that the teachers’ body has requested a meeting with the Sindh CM to present their viewpoint. However, the meeting has not been scheduled yet.
Additionally, Dr. Naqvi rejected reports quoting the KU vice-chancellor, who claimed that the university was facing a financial crisis due to 70% of students not paying their fees for several years. Dr. Naqvi called on the VC and the finance director to provide records detailing the perks they have received if KU is indeed in a dire financial situation.
Dr. Naqvi further highlighted that the university’s budget has not been approved for the past four years, significantly impacting academic and research activities. In addition, evening program teachers have not received their arrears for the past one-and-a-half years, while permanent faculty members are yet to receive the increments announced in the provincial government’s budget four months ago.
In a related development, the University of Karachi has postponed exams for associate degrees in science and arts that were originally scheduled for September 25 and 29. The controller of examination, Dr. Syed Shahid Zaheer, announced the postponement of papers for Sociology – I, Social Work – I, Islamic Studies, and Moral Philosophy, with new dates to be announced later.
