Karachi University is heading towards a complete closure after the non-teaching staff of the institute said they will observe pen-down strike for an indefinite period from Monday (April 29, 2024) till the acceptance of their demands by the varsity administration, an episode highlighting the tough situation in Pakistan and how things remained the same even after the change in the federal government.

Academic activities on the campus have partially been suspended since April 22 due to the teachers’ boycott of KU evening classes, reported Dawn News.

They are demanding for payment of leave encashment, reimbursement of medical bills and remuneration of evening classes pending for more than a year.

Speaking to Dawn News, senior KU teachers said that the non-teaching staff’s boycott would likely lead to a complete suspension of academic and administrative activities on Monday.

Discontentment on the campus, they said, ran high given the administration’s repeated failure to address employees’ grievances.

They hope that the strike called by the non-teaching staff will put pressure on administration and ensure their demands are met.

“This decision would be taken up by teachers in the upcoming general body to be held this week after the elections on the two seats (each) of the KU senate and syndicate,” Kuts president Prof Shah Aliul Qadr told Dawn News.

Education emergency

The Pakistani government is likely to declare an emergency with the aim of bringing back out-of-school children into the education system and preventing further disparity in educational opportunities.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is set to announce an education emergency for four years to tackle the education crisis in Pakistan, ARY News reported.

Sources told ARY News that the prime minister would officially declare an education emergency in the country in a ceremony set to take place on Tuesday.

Chief Ministers and education ministers of all provinces are likely to attend the meeting.

Pakistan,  a nation battling economic crisis, this year voted to elect a new government in power.

Shehbaz Sharif took oath as the PM after days of political debates and seat calculations with none of the parties winning a clear majority.