KU teachers observe black day over delay in promotions

The Selection Board Action Committee of Karachi University on Thursday observed a black day on campus, expanding the scope of its protest against the varsity administration for not holding the 2019 selection boards.

Earlier on Tuesday, the committee had indicated that if its demands were not met, the scope of protest would be gradually expanded. On Thursday, teachers tied black bands around their arms while fulfilling their teaching duties.

The members of the Selection Board Committee are from Applied Chemistry, Physiology, Statistics, Applied Physics, Chemistry, Geology, Maths, Botany, Marine Biology, Zoology, Microbiology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Library Science, Islamic History, Social Work, Sociology, Political Science, Economics and other departments.

The protesting teachers were of the view that the administration’s inaction on the applications submitted in connection with the 2019 advertisement was causing anxiety and frustration among the KU faculty. In the guise of scrutiny and reports of foreign referees, the selection boards were being unnecessarily delayed, and as a result of this a large number of teachers would retire before the selection boards were held.

The committee demanded that the KU administration should hold a selection board for the 2019 advertisement under the university code and the Universities Amendment Bill, 2018. It announced a symbolic hunger strike in front of the administration building on September 6, expanding the scope of the protest.