Peshawar University Teachers’ Association (PUTA) demanded that the ANP-led provincial government bring all National Research Centres on the premises of the University of Peshawar into its administration.
“The employees working at the five national research centers shall strike as protest,” Prof Dr Fakhrul Islam said addressing a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club on Monday. He said the merger would not create a loss since the centers generate their own revenue.
Dr Islam was flanked by Dr Tahir Shah, Dr Naeem, Dr Pervez Tareen, and Dr Irshad Akmal. He said after the passage of the 18th Constitutional Amendment, the ministry of educational and other ministries had been devolved to the respective provinces. “The federal government had issued a notification to merge the national research centers into the University of Peshawar,” he said.
“However, the KP government now wants to bring the research centres under its direct control which threatens the future of the centers and PhD scholars,” he said. He said the provincial government had pressurized the administration of the University of Peshawar to withdraw the notification.
He denied that the centres could not meet their expenses or the university could not bear their expenses. He said the centers generate their own revenue.
He said the employees working in all five centres had decided to refuse to work under the provincial government and shall begin protests if the government pressurises them. Senior faculty members said the hand-over of the centers would also mean a fee-hike. They demanded the federal government intervene and decide in the interest of the centres according to the notification already issued.