Teachers to protest against HEC funding cuts

[Lahore_Real_Estate]

LAHORE: Faculty members of the Punjab University and the University of Engineering and Technology (UET) are going to hold a demonstration outside the Lahore Press Club today (Wednesday) to protest against the funding cuts in the budget of the Higher Education Commission (HEC).

According to a statement, members of Punjab University Academic Staff Association (ASA) and the Engineering University Teachers Staff Association will gather outside the press club at 12:30pm to register their protest against the federal government’s decision to slash the HEC’s development and non-development budgets.The statement said that the reduction in HEC funds had created a grave financial crisis for the public sector universities, who would be unable to smoothly carry out their ongoing academic and research programmes.

The demonstration will be led by ASA President Prof Dr Mahr Saeed Akhtar and General Secretary Prof Javed Sami. The ASA members will wear black gowns as well as black ribbons and badges and will also carry banners to lodge their protest.

Meanwhile, a meeting of the ASA general body was held under the chairmanship of Dr Akhtar in the committee room of PU Institute of Chemical Engineering New Campus. Prof Javed Sami conducted the proceedings of the meeting, which was also attended by a large number of PU teachers and students.