KARACHI: Voicing their frustration over what they described as `government indifference` towards their longstanding demands, representatives of the Federation of All Pakistan UniversitiesAcademicStaffAssociation (Fapuasa)Sindhchapter announced on Tuesday that teachers would boycott academic activities at all public-sector universities on Jan 24.

They were speaking at a press conference held on Karachi University campus.

`If the government remained unmoved, we would go on a boycott for an indefinite period from Jan 30,` president of Fapausa Prof NaimatullahLeghari said adding that the government inaction had forced teachers to resort to this form of protest.

Sharing teachers` grievances, he regretted that the government had done nothing to address their reservations pertaining to the Sindh Universities Laws (Amendment) Act, 2013.

`It`s a black law that deprives universities of their autonomous status. We have raised this issue with government officials multiple times since 2013, but there has been no encouraging response,` he said.

Elaborating teachers`stance, he said teachers agreed with the principles and spirit of devolution of power reflected in the 18th constitutional amendment.

`But, the controversial law violatesthe autonomous status granted to universities (under the 1973 act). It allows the government to directly appoint a number of key officials in universities, he explained.

The government, he pointed out, had agreed with teachers` stance that these appointments should be the prerogative of university syndicate and that points of contentions would be reversed.

`But, there has been no progress over the matter in five years and the government has repeatedly appointed officials, ignoring merit and university rules and regulations,` he said.

About other issues, he said a number of `hardship cases` were pending at the Governor Secretariat for the past 10 months, causing frustration and dismay among teachers.According to him, hardship cases pertain to teachers whose promotions are withheld for some reasons and they get raise in salary with a move-over without change in cadre.

`We demand that cases of teachers who meet the minimum eligibility criteria should be taken up on priority basis.

The chancellor should also consider giving powers to the syndicate of university concerned to take up such cases to avoid delays, as is the practice in Balochistan,` he said.

He also raised reservations over the way provincial Higher Education Commission was being run and said that the government should appoint a highly qualified academician to run the body in a transparent manner.

`We demand removal of non-PhD vicechancellors forthwith. Teachers share serious concerns over the appointment of retired personnel at universities and demand that the government must respect the law and the rights of serving employees,` Prof Minhoon Khan Leghari, also representing Fpuasa, said.

Teachers also criticised what they termed government`s double standards in giving PhD allowance, which, they pointed out, was Rs25,000 for the Sindh Madressatul Islam University.

However, for the rest of public-sector universities, the amount was Rs10,000.

They also spoke of enhancing PhD and post doctorate scholarships for Sindh, increasing funding for universities and setting up housing schemes for teachers on campuses where such projects were non-existent.