Teachers go on strike against Dr Asim’s reappointment as Sindh HEC chairperson

KARACHI: The teaching staff at Sindh’s public universities decided to observe an indefinite strike from Wednesday against the reappointment of Dr Asim Hussain as the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Sindh chairperson.

The strike call has been given by the Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA) Sindh chapter which views Dr Asim’s reappointment as chairman HEC Sindh illegal.

As result of the strike, the teaching and learning process may come to a halt at Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, NED University, University of Karachi, Shah Abdul Latif University, Quaid-e-Azam University of Engineering, Sindh Agriculture University and others.

The association had earlier observed a teaching boycott in around a dozen public universities in the province on January 24.

Fapuasa has been seeking amendments to Sindh Universities Law (Amendment) Act, 2013, which allegedly has deprived the universities of autonomy.

The enactment of the act saw protests by the teachers until the provincial government kept the association engaged in several rounds of negotiations for over four years, assuring them that an amendment in the act to be tabled in the provincial assembly as per their recommendations.