Islamabad-Academic Staff Association (ASA) of COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI) condemning the delay in implementation of university act, urged early appointments at top administrative positions on permanent basis, statement said on Saturday.
A statement issued by ASA-CUI said that the acting administrative set-up of the university has failed in implementing the agreement made between rector and ASA-CUI.
It said that rector CUI failed in resolving the demands agreed upon during the protest in all seven ASA-CUI campuses in June 2019 on problems pertaining to all the employees of the university.
The ASA-CUI demanded implementation of CUI Act 2018 specifically holding elections for faculty representation in statutory forums of CUI.
It also asked to expedite the lingering process of appointments of principal officers (Rector, Pro-Rectors, Registrar, Campus Directors etc) and merger of adhoc allowances in basic salaries since 2010.
The teachers’ body also demanded conduction of selection boards and proper functionality of various committees formed for smooth functioning of the university.
The ASA also demanded ending of deliberate delays in disbursement of salaries to employees adding that the rector should resign or be replaced on non-implementation of most of the agreement.
The Tenure Track System faculty of CUI also urged removal of huge anomalies in services files and increase in the salaries of TTS faculty which is overdue.
The ASA-CUI expressing solidarity with the academia of all Pakistani universities also demanded to end harassment of faculty, restoration of Dr. Shahzad Ashraf, Dr. Husnain Naqvi at International Islamic University and terminated faculty members at Gomal University, DI Khan and others in universities all over the country.
It also expressed resentment on the budgetary cuts on funds for higher education by the Government of Pakistan and reverting the quenching of text rebate to academia from 75 per cent to 25 per cent and enhancement of retirement age of faculty members to 65 years.
Meanwhile, a statement issued by CUI after the meeting of the Senate Standing-Committee on Science and Technology under the chairmanship of Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan said that Prof. Dr. Raheel Qamar, Rector CUI briefed the committee about the working, role and responsibility of CUI and the current challenges escalated by the financial constraints of CUI and the resulting lack of funds available for the university operations and employees’ salaries which is enabled through the HEC funding.
It said that the rector CUI also shed light upon the several mechanisms of attaining self- sustainability as well as revenue generation through commercialisation of technologies which can rescue the university from financial crisis.
The committee was also briefed about Virtual Campus Regulations by the officials of Higher Education Commission upon which the Senate Committee directed the HEC to come up with a policy on distance and virtual education by December this year.
Upon Inquiring from the Secretary Workers Welfare Board about the status of pending payment to COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus the chair was briefed by the Secretary Workers Welfare Board about the issues with the invoices and assured the forum that CUI shall be paid the pending amount in one to two months of billing.