FAPUASA and PU ASA protest Punjab govt, HEC anti teachers policies
Staff Report
LAHORE: (Thursday, October 15, 2020): While terming the HEC chairman as ‘incompetent’ Punjab University Academic Staff Association President Thursday alleged that the Higher Education Commission chief and his team were deliberately bringing down the standard of higher education in Pakistan through wrong policies. He said that the HEC team was not resolving the problems being faced by the faculty members in the universities and had failed to promote higher education and research culture in Pakistan.
Dr. Mumtaz Anwar, who is also FAPUASA Punjab President, was leading a protest rally against HEC and Punjab government at PU New Campus. PUASA Secretary Javed Sami and faculty members also participated in the rally. The protestors while carrying banners against HEC chairman and the Punjab government raised slogans in favor of their demands. The teachers demanded immediate removal of HEC Chairman Dr Tariq Banuri.
Addressing the participants of the rally, PUASA President and FAPUASA Punjab President Prof Dr Mumtaz Anwar Chaudhry said, “the incompetent HEC chairman and his team are deliberately bringing down the standard of higher education in Pakistan through wrong policies. HEC team is not resolving the problems being faced by the faculty members in the universities and failed to promote higher education and research culture in Pakistan.” He said that the HEC chairman did not make any serious effort to convince the government for the allocation of appropriate funds for the higher education sector. He demanded the government restore the 75 percent rebate given to teachers. He said that HEC was attempting unnecessary and illegal interventions in the autonomy of universities.
He said that the teachers strongly rejected HEC’s new policies regarding research journals, post PhD experience for the appointment of teachers on BPS, admissions in M Phil & PhD level, and any other which had been made without consultation of teachers. He said that HEC had also failed to resolve issues being faced by the BPS and TTS teachers. Criticizing the Punjab government for not fulfilling its promises as per the agreement, he demanded Punjab government approve the ante-date appointments of teachers as per previous practice. He said that the Punjab government was humiliating vice-chancellors and teachers through cheap tactics. He said that FAPUASA must be given representation in every policy-making process. He said that FAPUASA would continue its protest campaigns country-wide unless our just demands were addressed in a proper manner. He said that teachers from all universities would hold a mega protest demonstration outside HEC Islamabad on October 21.