Academic Staff Association warns to shuts the universities in Punjab

Lahore: Hundreds of teachers of the Punjab University under the platform of their Academic Staff Association (ASA) have demanded the Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to honour the promise and recommendations of Khawaja Hassan Ahmad-led Talks Committee regarding not using PU housing society land for the depot of Metro Orange Train and use thousands of kanal alternative land available nearby.

ASA made this demand while addressing a press conference followed by its general body meeting attended by a large number of male and female teachers, employees and retired professors.

Addressing the Press Conference ASA President Prof Dr Hassan Mobeen Aalam, Prof Dr Mahboob Hussain said although govt talk committee had given assurance, some survey teams were continuously trying to enter the housing society premises, however the university teachers and guards restricted their entrance. This is serious violation of the commitment made by the government representative and reflects their intention.

To a question they said that the option of closing all universities of Pakistan with the support of federation was still alive. They said all option including holding massive protest demonstrations on roads, in front of CM House and Jati Umra and on Mall Road were being considered. “This is continuous struggle and we will not allow bulldozing teachers houses built after paying instalments for 13 years and taking loans form the banks. We hope Khawja Ahmed Hassan, DG LDA Ahad Cheema, MPA Saiful Malook Khokhar and MD NESPAK will honour and promise and convince the chief minister,” the said.

Earlier, addressing the general body meeting teachers considered all options of strikes, boycott of examinations, classes and admissions and taking support of civil society besides exercising legal rights in the court of law. All group showed their unity and solidarity on the one-point agenda general body meeting.