KARACHI: A standoff between faculty and administration at Karachi University entered a new phase on Tuesday as the Karachi University Teachers Association (KUTA) continued its protest over housing allowance and other demands, disrupting semester examinations and affecting more than 40,000 students.
According to information available with MM News, KUTA officials said the protest is being held to press for an increase in the house ceiling rent allowance along with other pending demands. The association has been staging demonstrations for the past two weeks, escalating its action on May 5 by announcing a boycott of semester examinations over non-payment of housing allowance.
The boycott has had uneven impact across campus.
According to university sources, all scheduled exams in the Arts and Commerce faculties proceeded as planned, while only a few departments in the Science Faculty conducted papers. The Pharmacy Faculty saw a complete boycott, with teachers refusing to invigilate or collect answer scripts.
University administration officials acknowledged that over 40,000 students are facing difficulties due to the ongoing protest and rescheduling of exams.
The Karachi University administration said KUTA has been briefed on the institution’s current financial crisis. The Vice Chancellor has written to the Chief Secretary seeking a Karachi University Grant and Bailout Package to address the funding shortfall.
Administrators further noted that objections from the Federal and Provincial Higher Education Commissions, in addition to audit concerns, exist regarding the housing allowance. They urged faculty to resolve the issues through dialogue rather than boycotting examinations.
It may be recalled that the May 5 exam boycott followed two weeks of protests by KUTA over housing allowance and other demands. The administration has maintained that discussions remain the appropriate forum to address the dispute, particularly given the regulatory and audit objections tied to the allowance.
As of today, no resolution had been announced. Both sides indicated willingness to continue talks, while students await clarity on rescheduled examinations.
