Faculty boycott Karachi University exams over unpaid dues as financial crisis halts academic activities

In a massive show of defiance on Tuesday, a vast majority of the faculty members boycotted semester examinations. The industrial action, which brought the campus to a standstill, followed a call by the Karachi University Teachers' Society (Kuts) over the "prolonged failure of the university administration to address the financial grievances of the faculty."

The protest highlights a pattern of systemic mismanagement and "administrative apathy" that has left educators without basic compensation. According to Dawn, teachers have been denied payments for evening sessions, examination duties, and housing allowances for an extended period, pushing many to the brink of financial ruin.

"The recent unprecedented hike in fuel prices and the subsequent increase in the prices of basic commodities have further compounded our financial woes," a senior teacher told Dawn, pointing to the hyperinflation that has decimated the purchasing power of the middle class in Pakistan.

Kuts president Ghufran Alam stated that the strike was the "logical conclusion of the continued administrative apathy." He noted that despite repeated alerts, the "university administration took no steps to take teachers into confidence, leaving them with no option but to go on boycott."

The internal rot within the state-run institution has resulted in a staggering "deficit of PKR 1.3 billion." Highlighting the "financial mess" the university is in, Dawn reported that the teachers' body has sought the intervention of Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, demanding a probe into the PKR 1.3 billion shortfall to ensure "transparency and accountability."

As the academic future of thousands of students hangs in the balance, the faculty remains steadfast, declaring that they "appeal to the chief minister to help the teachers and university come out of this crisis." The teachers intend to continue their boycott pending a general body meeting on Thursday. (ANI)