Karachi University seeks bailout as teachers, staff protests continue

KARACHI: The University of Karachi has sought a bailout grant from the Sindh government as a continuing dispute with teachers and non-teaching employees over unpaid dues keeps semester examinations and academic activities under strain.

According to a senior university official, the administration approached the chief secretary and informed him that the university was facing a serious financial crunch after the federal government announced an 85 per cent increase in the house ceiling allowance. The official said the Sindh government had not yet implemented that decision and warned that, if enforced, it would place an additional burden of Rs510 million on the university.

The official said the university administration had asked the Sindh government to immediately address the issue of house ceiling allowance for all employees, including teachers.

The teachers’ protest, which was joined by non-teaching staff on Monday, has brought teaching work to a halt and added to concerns over repeated delays in examinations. The disruption has affected thousands of students, who are facing academic uncertainty and mental stress.

A joint protest demonstration was held on campus on Monday against the non-payment of several dues. These included the house ceiling allowance, leave encashment, evening programme payments, supervisor fees, paper-checking charges, paper-setting payments and invigilation charges.

Karachi University Teachers Society secretary Maroof Bin Rauf said the federal government had introduced the house ceiling allowance, but teachers at the university had not received it since November 2025.

"With every passing month, the amount of arrears is increasing, but there is still no indication of when the payments will be made," he said.

KU Employees Welfare Association President Zahid Hussain Baloch said teachers, employees and other staff members would continue their protest until the issues were settled. He said the house ceiling allowance, leave encashment and evening programme payments were common issues affecting the entire university workforce, adding that around 2,000 employees were suffering because of unpaid dues.

Political and student groups react

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan voiced concern over what it described as a worsening financial, administrative and academic crisis at the university. The party said the Sindh government’s continued negligence and flawed policies had pushed the country’s largest educational institution into serious turmoil.

According to the party, prolonged non-payment of arrears to teachers, officers and employees, along with the suspension of house ceiling allowance and other financial issues, had paralysed the university’s administrative and academic structure.

The MQM-P called on the relevant authorities to release special funds for the university so that all pending dues, including the house ceiling allowance, could be cleared and the institution could overcome its financial difficulties. At the same time, it appealed to teachers to avoid, as far as possible, a complete suspension of examinations and academic work in view of students’ educational future and mental stress.

Meanwhile, Islami Jamiat Talaba said several examinations had already been postponed and that the announcement of a complete boycott of teaching, administrative work and examinations from May 11 had made the situation worse. It said the teachers’ demands were legitimate and deserved attention, but added that students were bearing the brunt of the crisis as they faced uncertainty over examinations and severe mental stress about their academic future.