PESHAWAR: The Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA) has opposed amendments to University of Peshawar Act, 1974 and warned to resist the same at all costs.

Addressing a press conference at Peshawar Press Club on Monday, FAPUASA central president Dr Iqbal Munir said that the provincial government had not taken the stakeholders into confidence before amending the law.

`We have formed an action committee to keep liaison with representatives of teachers in rest of the 19 public sector universities in the country so that we together devise an effective strategy for launching protest drive to get our demands accepted,` he said.

Flanked by other officebearers of FAPUASA, he said that the amendments would increase political interference in the affairs of universities and affect standard of education.

`We are ready to observe sit-in outside the building of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly till the restoration of University of Peshawar Act, 1974. Neither senior academicians nor faculty members have been taken into confidant regarding the amendments,` Dr Iqbal said.

He said that senate used to be a vital organ of any university but the government decreased the number of the representatives of university to only seven in the 29-member body. He also opposed the procedure for appointment of vice-chancellor. If the amended law was implemented, it would become difficult to find a reasonable person for the seat of vice-chancellor, he said.

The FAPUASA leader said that the previous provincial government had initiated worl< to amend the law but after thorough discussion with relevant Stakeholders University of Peshawar Act was passed by the provincial assembly in 2011.

He said that PTI government in the province initiated work on reforms in the education system but the entire process was spoiled by immature advisers and politically motivated working groups. He said that reforms were initiated with good faith but unfortunately the process took a negative turn.

Following amendments to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Universities Act, Dr Iqbal said, all the universities of the province moved court against it.

Meanwhile, Provincial Minister for Higher Education Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani has said that purpose of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2015 was to improve the performance of the higher educational institutions in the province.

According to a statement, talking to a delegation of FAPUASA, he said that although the bill was passed by the provincial assembly, yet more amendments could be added in it until the final legal draft was made public.

-Bureau Report