PESHAWAR: Expressing deep concern over the severe financial and administrative crisis facing the University of Peshawar, President Dr. Zakirullah Jan announced a complete strike from Monday.
Talking to media persons, he revealed that the university has been facing continuous financial difficulties for the last ten to twelve years, due to which not only the teachers but also the retired employees are suffering severely. Dr. Zakirullah Jan said that the February salary was received with a delay of three days and there is a fear that the university will not have funds available for the salaries of the next three months. The federal government has frozen the grant while the provincial government is reluctant to provide assistance.
The university administration is distributing FBR tax money in the salaries of employees under compulsion. No pension or dues have been paid to any employee who retired in the past one year. The PUTA president accused the provincial government of “discriminatory treatment” towards the University of Peshawar, saying that the budget of just Rs10 billion for the province’s 34 universities is like a grain of sand in a camel’s mouth. He added:
The university has admitted far more students than the HEC set standards, which has overwhelmed the educational infrastructure. The promotion of PhD doctors has been stalled for twenty years, and according to the vice-chancellor, the government is not issuing NOCs.
Running a university with “visiting faculty” to meet the shortage of permanent teachers is a joke on higher education.Former President PUTA Dr. Uzair also spoke on the occasion and said that whenever funds are demanded, the government dismisses it by declaring it an “autonomous institution”, but it interfering in administrative matters.
PUTA has given an ultimatum that if a meeting of the selection board is not convened within three days and the issues of promotion of teachers are not resolved, then the teaching process in the university will be completely suspended from Monday and classes will be boycotted.
Read also: KP University fines 101 students for hostel rule violation
