Federal Urdu University Retired Professors and Employees Protest Against Non-Payment of Pensions and Arrears
Retired Professors and Employees of Federal Urdu University of Arts Science and Technology staged Protest Against Non-Payment of Pensions and Arrears Outside Karachi Press Club.
The patience of retired university professors and employees has reached its limit as they staged a protest outside the Karachi Press Club over the non-payment of pensions and arrears. Accusations were leveled against the Vice Chancellor, who was alleged to be holding events to protect his image instead of ensuring the timely payment of monthly pensions.
Scores of retired professors and employees of Federal Urdu University gathered to voice their anger over the non-payment of pensions for the past five months and the arrears pending since 2017. Chanting slogans of discontent, the demonstrators demanded justice for their long-overdue payments.
The protestors marched peacefully to the Governor House Sindh, where they rang the “Bell of Justice” installed outside, pleading with the Governor of Sindh to intervene and ensure their rights are granted. Faces filled with despair and frustration underscored the dire situation many retirees are facing. The failure to pay monthly pensions for the past five months has already resulted in the deaths of seven employees, while many others struggle with severe illnesses without money for treatment or basic living expenses.
Addressing the gathering, the convener of the professors’ and employees’ committee, Dr. Tauseef Ahmed Khan, highlighted the gravity of the financial mismanagement. He remarked:
“During the tenure of Vice Chancellor Professor Zabta Khan Shinwari, the university has become a textbook case of financial mismanagement. The Vice Chancellor himself admitted in writing before the Federal Ombudsman that the university has funds exceeding 600 million rupees, which have been invested in profit-earning schemes. Yet, these funds remain inaccessible for paying employees their due arrears and pensions.”
Dr. Tauseef further revealed that the investments made in previous years have likely grown to over one billion rupees, but this immense amount remains unused for resolving the financial crisis faced by retired employees.
He added:
“The Federal Ombudsman has issued clear instructions for the immediate liquidation of these funds to pay the dues, yet the Vice Chancellor has blatantly ignored this order. Shockingly, this critical issue was not even included in the syndicate meeting’s agenda, demonstrating not just a lack of justice but a blatant disregard for court directives.”
The protestors criticized the Vice Chancellor’s administrative abilities, pointing out that Professor Shinwari is frequently absent from the office and has failed to address the pressing issues of the university.
Amid the protest, MQM leader Aminul Haque contacted Dr. Tauseef Ahmed Khan over the phone and assured him that immediate steps would be taken to release two months’ worth of pensions.
Many participating employees and professors raised the question:
“Did we dedicate the best years of our lives to this institution only to face such humiliation in our retirement?”
Ironically, while the protest unfolded outside, a convocation ceremony for Federal Urdu University was underway inside the Governor House.
Attendees included professors who have been waiting for three months of salaries and nine months of house rent allowances, further underscoring the university’s financial and administrative turmoil.
