Reinstante Dr Agha Nasir of Balochistan University
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[edit] Reinstate Dr Agha Nasir of Balochistan University Pakistan, Repeal Model University Ordinance
[edit] Petition Begins
We condemn the Balochistan Univeristy administration and the Higher Education Commission Pakistan for sacking Dr Agha Nasir Assistant Professor Balochistan University for resisting the World Bank sponsored Model University Ordinance (MUO) imposed on Balochistan University.
We support the protest movement that has followed since Dr Nasir's sacking with the students leading the protest and boycotting classes and exams. We respect the student-led boycott that now enters its 10th week. We express our solidarity with the varsity teachers throughout Pakistan that have protested against the sacking of Dr Agha Nasir and imposition of MUO through black days and protest meetings.
We view with honour that Dr Agha Nasir, Professor and head of Urdu Department Balochistan University, is a member of the Executive Council of teachers association and was leading the protests and opposition to the MUO. On June 30 Prof Nasir was charge sheeted and transferred to Department of Sociology as a punishment. Prof Nasir was targeted because he was in the forefront of the struggle against MUO.
We demand Dr Nasirs' reinstatement, repeal of Model University Ordinance, restoration of the 1973 University Act and end to harassment and persecution of students and teachers at the hands of military Vice Chancellor of Balochistan University.
We view with concern that authoritarian rule, imposition of anti-people policies ignoring desires and wishes of the working people are being imposed in Pakistan. We express our solidarity with all the students and teachers and other elements of working class in their struggle against pro-market education and for democratic rights and quest for a just system.
[edit] Petition Ends
[edit] Background Details
Dr Nasir was charged with 'never taking classes, meeting guests instead of teaching, not allotting assignments to students, nefariously published his own book as PhD thesis and misused leave'. All these charges had no factual basis to support. Dr Nasir took regular classes and exams and did his PhD from Karachi University in 2006 which first turned down Balochistan Universtiy's request to re-examine Prof Nasir's thesis and then held an inquiry which also dismissed charges of plagiarism.
Teachers protest started in may this year when they came to know that the government has tabled the infamous Model University Ordinance on the agenda of the then Balochistan Assembly. At the same time new office bearers were elected to the Academic Staff Association Baolchistan University who raised objections and lobbied assembly members. The teachers protest proved successful and the Model University Ordinance was removed from the agenda but only to be brought back in the next session where once again the teachers protest forced it not to be tabled in the assembly. Failing in its efforts the Governor, also the Chancellor of Baolchistan University, imposed the Model University Ordinance on 5 July 2007. This was done with tacit approval of Higher Education Commission which had imposed the MUO on another public sector varsity, the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology headquartered in Karachi in January 2003.
World Bank, Higher Education Commission and Model University Ordinance Before targeting the Federal Urdu University the Higher Education Commission tried to impose the MUO on all public sector universities in 2002. That move was resisted by a countrywide protest campaign including national strikes by the university teachers. The Model University Ordinance, Higher Education Commission are part of the so-called reforms formulated by the World Bank Task Force in 'Higher Education in Developing Countries - Challenges and Opportunities 2000' written by two Harvard University Professors David Bloom and Henry Rozovisky. The World Bank through MUO aims to privatise public sector universities, its first attack is on the structure of varsity administration which (through the 1973 University Act passed by the parliament) gives teachers and student representation in Senate (governing body), Syndicate (administrative body), Academic Council, Boards of Faculty and Departments. The 1973 Act empowers the Vice Chancellor but makes it difficult for him to dictate government policy. The MUO takes away all representation for all boards and bodies and gives authoritarian powers to the administration. MUO has failed to reform the Federal Urdu varsity it was implemented on in 2003 where corruption, nepotism and authoritarian reign supreme and teachers and students are denied all rights of representation and expression.
[edit] Balochistan University Teachers Struggle
Balochistan University teachers and students are defending their rights by not accepting the Model University Ordinance. After the MUO imposition they continued their struggle. The varsity used military (Rangers) and disallowed agitation at the campus. Teachers were not allowed to use a room to hold a meeting and thus a General Body of ACABU was held outside on lawns and condemned the MUO. They observed black days by wearing black-armbands and the association hoisted banners against the MUO. The national association of university teachers FAPUASA meet on 26 June and condemned the imposition of MUO on Balochistan University and the harassment of teachers at the hands of a military Vice Chancellor who earlier had threatened all those protesting against the MUO. On 27 June the FAPUASA leadership met Governor to discuss MUO.
Dr Agha Nasir, Professor and head of Urdu Department Balochistan University, is a member of the Executive Council of teachers association and was leading the protests and opposition to the MUO. On June 30 Prof Nasir was charge sheeted and transferred to Department of Sociology as a punishment. He was charged with 'never taking classes, meeting guests instead of teaching, not allotting assignments to students, nefariously published his own book as PhD thesis and misused leave'. All these were false charges. Prof Nasir took regular classes and exams and did his PhD from Karachi University which first turned down Balochistan University’s request to re-examine Prof Nasir's thesis and then held an inquiry which also dismissed charges of plagiarism. Prof Nasir was targeted because he was in the forefront of the struggle against MUO. The ASABU held demanded his reinstatement and condemned the sacking. The association held a protest camp at Quetta Press Club and University teachers held protest-assemblies at the university entrance. At this Prof Kaleem Khan, the President of ASABU was given a show cause notice for illegal assembly and protest. Individually 24 other teachers were threatened through letters. Hundreds of teachers were harassed through chairs of departments to dissociate from protest demanding Prof Nasir's reinstatement and repeal of MUO. In a blatant attempt to crush the resistance the Vice Chancellor even tried to get 110 teachers sacked through a golden hand shake scheme in the Chancellor's self appointed Senate. In all these anti-teacher actions the Higher Education Commission was hand in glove with the military Vice Chancellor of Balochistan University. Nominee of Higher Education Commission is in the MUO bodies of the varsity while there is no representation of the teachers. Students have also been protesting against the MUO and cases filed in sacking teachers and initiating inquiries against others. The inquiry officers against protesting teachers are temporary teachers hired by Higher Education Commission's Tenure Track Scheme purported to promote quality research.
On September 18 Students Action Committee held a black day against Prof Nasir's dismissal, forced retirement, MUO and raise in fee. On September 20 classes boycott started. Thousands of students participated in the agitation that spread to various colleges. At this the varsity administration filed even more cases against the students. No exams or classes had taken place in Balochistan University since September 20 2007. An attempt by the varsity administration fizzled out the very next day when the varsity was shut down after the killing of a Balochistan Liberation leader.
[edit] Authoritarian Rule by the General
General Musharraf has tried to destroy many institutions in Pakistan. Judiciary, media are his recent targets. Before this he has divided and manipulated education, health and other public service workers. Political parties too have been the target of the military dictatorship and almost all have succumbed on various occasions to the threats and divisions when a popular movement wants their tacit support for success on single issues like the MUO on Balochistan University or earlier on on the Federal University. Teachers too have been divided by the Higher Education Commission through its direct interference in universities academic matters through Tenure Track, Retired Faculty Hiring, PhD Program, 4-Year Bachelor Degree Program, anti-plagiarism attacks, changes in rules making registration and examination of PhD a highly bureaucratic task. Balochistan itself has been under attack through a military operation that started in 2002 after people resisted mega-projects sponsored by Chinese, US and Pakistani military establishement. Thousands have been arrested and hundreds remain ‘disappeared’ by the military. Thus the struggle for rights over one’s land and over one’s University is against a common enemy.
Composed by Dr Riaz Ahmed, Associate Professor, Applied Chemistry, Karachi University, Karachi Pakistan.
ahmedriazku at yahoo.com 0092-333-2298922
