Teachers’ boycott at PU damaging image of Pak varsities

Repute of Pakistanis universities is damaging at international level due to the current academic boycott of teachers at the historic Punjab University (PU) as educationists and stakeholders are seeking reports from the foreign students about the closure of the oldest university of the country, Pakistan Today learnt on Tuesday.
The foreign students said that Paksiani government is earning a bad name at international level due to the closure of its oldest university and demanded the government provide a peaceful environment to them (foreign students) enrolled in the country’ universities. They said that universities of Pakistan are already notorious due to the issue of plagiarism, academic corruption and hooliganism and now the closure of the varsity by teachers’ elements has damaged its repute again.
On the other hand, foreigners at the Punjab University (PU) are tense due to the academic boycott of the classes by some elements of teachers and Academic Staff Association (ASA) and majority of them are planning to return to their hometowns as, according to them, they are disappointed due to the closure of the varsity.
The foreign students said that their friends, families and educationists are contacting them about the closure of the university as, according to them, boycott of teaches is an act against the state and added that it is the view of the foreigners that teachers never observed academic boycott in their countries for their vested interests.
Foreign students said that the Pakistani government has failed to give a peaceful environment to the students at the varsities. Especially at the PU, it seems that there is no government that can force the PU administration to open the university.
A debate at international level is in progress about the closure of the historic Punjab University as foreign students of the varsity are getting emails and calls to know the reason of the closure of the varsity. A group of foreign students, while discussing the issue, told Pakistan Today that they are tense while answering their families, friends and other relatives about the situation existing in the varsity.
It was observed that all foreign students were disappointed and they were also condemning the Punjab government on its failure to convince the administration to reopen the PU as an academic boycott of classes is in progress for the last week by the current ASA and a specific group of teachers who have the support the current VC. These teachers are just boycotting the classes as they alleged that some elements of IJT misbehaved with them, but they have no proof in this regard though an FIR was registered against the teachers that they tortured the students, but a specific groups is not willing to continue classes at the varsity. Similarly, most PU teaches are also opposing the academic boycott of the classes. Even former PUASA and FAPUASA chairmen are also asking the teachers to stop their boycott as it is not a civilised way to record protest but these teachers are not willing to end boycott; even the Punjab government is helpless before them.
Due to the boycott of classes, local students are also condemning the CM Punjab, but now foreign students have also started criticising our education system and most of them are planning to return to their countries.
It is percent to mention here that a large number of foreign students from various countries are getting education at the historic PU due to its old values. Students from African countries, Somalia, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Maldives, Nepal and other countries are enrolled in various disciplines of the PU, especially, a good number of foreign students are studying pharmacy, engineering and other sciences and social sciences disciplines and their majority is residing in the PU hostel No 2, where they all are worried about the academic boycott of the classes by the teachers. Similarly, female foreign students are equally tense due to the closure of the varsity and situation is the worst for them.
A foreign student, seeking anonymity, said that police contingent was called by the administration here and this news worried their families. He said the administration is increasing the tension of their parents and families. Another foreign student said that actually culprits are those teachers’ elements who are closing varsity and most responsible is the government who has failed to open varsity.
FAPUASA President: Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association former President Dr Mumtaz Salik said the tension among foreign students is genuine as there is no concept of closure of universities and libraries in the western countries as libraries and classes remain open there even at night times. He said it is tragic that the varsity administration is seeking police help to control the affairs, which shows the administration is not able to control the affairs.
CM should quit the government: A female professor said that the current strike of the teachers has damaged the image of the countries’ universities. She said it is tragic that such boycott is not happening in Wazirstan or Afghansitan, but in the province of the Punjab that was most peaceful province, but the current government has spoiled the affairs and now the university is close and students have gone to their hometowns. It is totally wastage of time, she said, asking the Punjab CM why he was constructing Danish schools and distributing laptops if he could not keep peace at the PU.