Despite being one of the country’s largest and most important educational institutions, Karachi University has become a source of problems and hardships for its students, teachers, and employees (both permanent and temporary). The economic crisis, which is a continuation of the global crisis in Pakistan, has become irreparable. IMF-like imperialist institutions are pressuring local rulers to reduce expenditure. This is most negatively impacting the education sector, where universities are being unofficially privatized while reducing their funds to meet expenses.
Like private universities, public universities are now being run through heavy fees extracted from students. In the past 4 years, Karachi University student fees have increased by 60%, yet all teachers and employees face constant delays in salary payments – meaning they are essentially working for free, which is the worst form of exploitation.
Evening faculty bills haven’t been paid for the past two years. Protests against salary delays are occurring periodically. Other educational institutions in Karachi face similar situations. Recently, teachers, employees, and students from Karachi and Urdu University held a joint press conference and are initiating a combined struggle.
At Karachi University, there are 700 temporary teachers (visiting faculty), about 150 assistant teachers, and the rest are associate teachers who have a fixed duration of five semesters and are counted as regular, receiving monthly salaries of PKR 25,000 to 40,000 (USD 89-143) and are dismissed after the fifth semester, though according to HEC law, associate teachers should be made permanent after six consecutive semesters or three years.
Non-permanent teachers’ per-lecture payment is merely PKR 600 (USD 2.14), based on 2010 rates, which needs immediate increase. Temporary lab assistants receive PKR 150 (USD 0.54) per hour. Temporary lecturers receive PKR 600 (USD 2.14) minus PKR 180 (USD 0.64) tax, leaving PKR 480 (USD 1.71)! The entire semester’s payment for one subject amounts to just PKR 18,000 (USD 64.29), with administration creating hurdles even in this payment.
According to teachers, when they raise voices for payment, they face harassment and threats of subject withdrawal. Despite these difficulties, the Temporary Teachers Association has begun mobilizing teachers.
Recently, Dr. Riaz Ahmed, a syndicate member, was forcibly picked up by state institutions for resistance but was released due to citywide and nationwide progressive friends’ outcry and anger, proving the power of resistance.
Dr. Munawwar Rasheed from the Center of Excellence Marine Biology is being targeted for termination for resisting anti-teacher policies. Various teachers’ organizations have begun a struggle with other organizations against this injustice and illegal action.
PTUS is supporting alongside students, teachers, and employees against this unofficial privatization and exploitation, and will play its full role in spreading and expanding this struggle nationwide.
