Pakistani academic staff threatens to suspend work country wide

The Federation of All-Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA) has threatened to close academic activities countrywide if the funds were not released by the Higher Education Commission till June 30. The decision was taken in the association’s general body meeting held in Islamabad to decide the future strategy against non-release of funds amounting to Rs 12 billion to the HEC for the 74 public sector universities. FAPUASA President Kaleemullah Bareach said the association has urged the government to immediately release the allocated funds, including Rs 6 billion for recurring and Rs 6 billion for development expenditure, for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2011-12. The remaining recurring budget of Rs 6 billion will be meant for 50 percent increase in salaries of government servants, he said and added the association has also demanded reinstatement of the sacked teachers of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University. He said the universities were facing severe difficulties in terms of paying salaries to the employees and would fail to continue academic activities smoothly if funds were not released in time. From: Copenhagen Uinversity