LAHORE: The Punjab University Academic Staff Association (PUASA) has condemned the formation of a committee to discuss issues of students of public and private sector universities in which the Secretary Higher Education Department has been made convener and the Punjab Higher Education Commission Chairman and senior vice chancellors would work as members under the secretary. The PUASA also announced not to extend any cooperation with the committee which has been mandated to discuss issues with "stakeholders".

In a press statement, PUASA President Prof Dr Mumtaz Anwar Chaudhry has lamented the government and declared the notification as a shameful attempt to bring vice chancellors under the clutches of bureaucracy.

He said the notification had no moral and technical standing. He said it was deplorable that the PHEC Chairman and vice chancellors of big public sector universities, who are retired teachers as well, had been directed to work under the chairmanship of the secretary.

He said the incumbent government was not giving respect to the teachers and through such attempts it was insulting senior academicians, scientists and researchers.

He said the government must know that no nation had progressed without giving respect to the teachers. He wondered as to how grade 22 vice chancellors could work under the grade 20 officer.

He said it was also astonishing that the government did not include any representation from any organization of public sector universities while it had included representation from the private sector.

He alleged that Higher Education Minister Raja Yasir Hummayun had connections with mafias and Prime Minister Imran Khan must take notice of it. He called upon all the vice chancellors not to participate in the meetings of the committee.