The Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Associations (FAPUASA) Sindh Chapter has condemned the government’s attack on university autonomy and announced a complete boycott of academic activities in all public universities of Sindh on Monday and Tuesday.
As reported by national media, today marks the 14th day of FAPUASA’s protest in Sindh’s universities, with a complete boycott of academic activities scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, February 3 and 4.
According to Dr. Abdul Rehman Nagraj, General Secretary of FAPUASA Sindh Chapter, yesterday an emergency online meeting was held under the chairmanship of Professor Dr. Ikhtiar Ali Ghamro, where unilateral amendments to the Sindh Universities Act were strongly condemned for being made without consultation with stakeholders and assembly members.
The faculty has labeled this move as a conspiracy to abolish university autonomy and harm their core values. FAPUASA Sindh declared this day as a dark day in the history of Sindh’s universities and announced that the protest would continue until the law is revoked.
Members expressed concern that while governments in civilized societies respect the opinions of academics, the Sindh government has adopted an authoritarian attitude by ignoring the faculty’s concerns. The amendments aim to transform vice-chancellors into mere bureaucrats, bringing universities completely under political control, where political appointments are prioritized over education, research, and academic freedom.
FAPUASA Sindh said provincial ministers are threatening to close universities due to their poor governance. FAPUASA members specifically condemned the language and tone used by Education Minister Sardar Ali Shah against teachers.
The association accused the government of shifting the blame for its failures onto teachers while ignoring the serious issues facing the universities. It was also stated that a large protest march would be organized in front of the Sindh Assembly, and legal action would be taken against the amendments, for which consultations with renowned lawyers have already been completed.
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