PESHAWAR
All employees of University of Peshawar (UoP), civil society and minority communities on Monday strongly condemned denial of salaries to Christian employees of the varsity on the eve of Easter and Muslim employees in Ramadan and ahead of Eid ul Fitr by the Vice Chancellor and termed it sheer violation of human rights.
Since all the university employees were on a strike against the Vice Chancellor from a month, therefore the VC denied the salaries to Christian employees on Easter, said Dr Salman Khan, General Secretary Peshawar University Teachers’ Association (PUTA).
He deplored that the university administration on the will of the VC had also not paid salaries to other employees including teachers in the month of Ramadan, which he said was violation of human rights and the issue would be taken up with the Human Rights’ Commission.
Dr Salman further warned that all the protesting employees of the varsity would extend the scope of their protest against corrupt practices and irregularities committed by the VC and take to the streets, adding that the Chancellor, provincial government, VC and university administration would be responsible for any law and order situation.
He said that the protesting employees had time and again brought into the notice of the Governor and the Chief Minister about the irregularities and illegalities against the VC and requested his immediate removal and an impartial inquiry against him.
“If the VC proves himself innocent before the inquiry committee then the Chancellor can restore his contract otherwise he should be punished under the law,” PUTA secretary said.
Advocate Nawaz Khosa referring to an order of the Supreme Court said that salary was right of an employee and it is not a donation which any public institution or its head can stop anytime, adding that the apex court ordered strict legal action against the officer responsible.
Jatinder Singh, Chairman Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter of the National Peace Council for Interfaith Harmony, condemning non-payment of salaries to Chrisitan employees by the UoP said that it was the basic right of every individual to stage peaceful protest and under the constitutional nobody can deprives him/her of salary due to the reason.
He urged the KP Governor and Chancellor of provincial public sector universities Ghulam Ali and Chief Minister to take notice of this act by the VC of KP university.
“In the month of Ramadan the minority communities host Iftar dinners for fasting Muslim and despite being a Muslim the VC was not releasing salaries to its Muslim employees,” he deplored and condemned.
Dr Muhammad Naeem of Computer Science department, University of Peshawar said that VC UoP was trying to convert the prestigious institution of higher education into a private school and intended to take more work from employees on low or no wages, adding that he was allegedly involved in exploitation of daily wager and visiting faculty of the university as well.
He assured that the teachers are committed to arrange extra classes for the period of protest for students to save their precious time and semester, however he said that in presence of the sitting VC the teachers and all other employees of the varsity were not ready to work.
Registrar UoP Saifullah Khan in a video message said that all the university employees were on a protest therefore the salaries could not be prepared and transferred in accounts of the employees.
He said that on the directives of VC Idress Khan an advance of Rs 30,000 was given to each Christian employee a day before Easter.
Meanwhile, all the university employees, civil society, representatives of minority communities urged the Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Chief Minister to take notice of the issue and denial of salaries to UoP employees adding that non-payment of salaries in Ramadan and ahead of Eid ul Fitr was an unjustified act.
