LAHORE: The Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA) has given a country-wide protest call of teachers against the chairman of Higher Education Commission while terming his policies anti-higher education.

In this regard, an online meeting of the executive council was held in which FAPUASA President Dr Sohail Yousaf, Vice President Naimatullah Laghari, General Secretary Dr Kaleem Ullah Barrech, Punjab President Prof Dr Mumtaz Anwar Chaudhry and representatives from all provinces participated in the meeting.

The FAPUASA meeting demanded immediate removal of the HEC chairperson from his post as he and his team were damaging the higher education sector in Pakistan. They said if the government did not remove HEC chairperson, FAPUASA's Islamabad chapter will hold protest demonstration on October 13, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapters on October 14, Punjab Chapter on October 15, Azad Jammu and Kashmir chapter on October 16 while on October 21, the teachers from all the universities across Pakistan will hold protest demonstrations and sit-in outside HEC Islamabad's office.

Prof Dr Mumtaz Anwar Chaudhry said that the HEC team was not resolving the problems being faced by the faculty members in the universities; and failed to promote higher education and research culture. He said that HEC was attempting unnecessary and illegal interventions in the autonomy of universities. He said that HEC had failed to pursue and convince government for increase in higher education budget, eliminate post PhD experience condition for appointment of teachers on BPS, ensure time-scale promotions, protect employment of TTS teachers, increase in salaries and ensure 75 percent rebate in income tax, permission to work on administrative posts, approval of appointment and promotions.

He said the FAPUASA also rejected the HEC's new policies about research journals and admission on PhD level programs. He said the FAPUASA must be given representation in every policy making process. He said the FAPUASA would continue its protest campaigns country-wide unless our just demands were addressed in a proper manner.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020