Malakand (Khyber Mail): The Malakand University Teachers Association (MUTA) has made a strong request to the Chancellor for immediate action to halt the emergency meeting of the University of Malakand’s syndicate. Teachers and other university employees are deeply concerned about the approval of statutes without proper sharing and consultation with stakeholders.
The Cabinet, through a resolution, has requested the Honorable Vice Chancellor and all members to postpone the meeting to address several pressing issues that require urgent attention.
One of the major concerns voiced by employees is the challenge of combining the services rendered under the previous statutes of 2006 with those under the draft statutes. The process is highly technical and demanding, necessitating sharing the draft with stakeholders before approval.
MUTA raises specific grounds for their request:
- Lack of Transparency: The draft statutes have not been shared with the stakeholders, which raises significant concerns about transparency and inclusivity in the decision-making process.
- Absence of Elected Members: Currently, all the elected members are not part of the syndicate, and the election process, due last month, has not been conducted, causing further tension and uncertainty among faculty members.
- Expired Tenure of Elected Members: The tenure of all elected members representing teaching and administrative staff has expired, leaving crucial positions unfilled and impacting the resolution of university matters.
- Emergency Meeting Concerns: The decision to call this meeting as an emergency, rather than a regular one, adds to stakeholders’ worries, given past negative experiences where draft statutes were altered, leading to unfavorable outcomes.
MUTA proposes a delay of 15-20 days, a period that would not be detrimental but instead constructive in refining the draft statutes. During this time, elections can be conducted to fill the vacant constituencies in accordance with the Universities Act 2012 (amended 2016).
MUTA sincerely hopes that the Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa/Chancellor of the University of Malakand will consider their request in the best interest of the university and its employees. The association urges the university administration to postpone the syndicate meeting, share the draft with stakeholders before approval, and conduct the election of authorities without any further delay.