Civil society, teachers demand Urdu University VC step down over deepening crisis

KARACHI: Civil society representatives and teachers on Wednesday voiced alarm over what they described as a worsening crisis at the Federal Urdu University, calling it an institutional, constitutional, financial and administrative breakdown and demanding the resignation of Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Zabta Khan Shinwari.

The demand was made at a joint press conference attended by National Trade Union Federation Pakistan General Secretary Nasir Mansoor, educationist Dr Riaz Sheikh, historian Dr Syed Jaffar Ahmed, HRCP Sindh Vice Chairperson Qazi Khizar Habib, Home-Based Women Workers Federation leader Zahra Khan, Federal Urdu University Senate member Mehnaz Rahman, university nomination committee members Dr Syed Iqbal Hussain Naqvi and Dr Roshan Ali Sumro, Teachers Association Gulshan Campus President Prof Saadia Khaliq, General Secretary Dr Iftikhar Ahmad Tahiri, Abdul Haq Campus Vice President Dr Asghar Dashti and Joint Secretary Dr Irfan Aziz.

The participants said problems in the university’s administration, finances and academic affairs had grown significantly during Shinwari’s tenure. They alleged that delays, a lack of transparency and a pick-and-choose approach had marked selection boards, promotions, financial matters and administrative decisions.

They also alleged that Senate and Syndicate meetings were being used to make decisions without quorum. In addition, the speakers said permanent faculty members had been removed without Senate approval, raising further concerns about governance at the institution.

Another issue highlighted at the press conference was the university’s solar power system. The participants said the Rs100 million installation had failed to ease the university’s ongoing electricity problems. They further claimed that serious technical flaws had been identified in the system, but no accountability had followed.

The speakers said the university was facing a broad crisis affecting multiple areas of its functioning and urged action in response to the concerns they had raised about the vice chancellor’s performance and the institution’s overall administration.