Karachi University teachers continue protest over delayed allowances, exams disrupted

Karachi [Pakistan], May 12 (ANI): Teachers at Pakistan's University of Karachi (KU) continued their boycott of semester examinations on Tuesday, leaving more than 40,000 students facing difficulties as the institution struggles with a severe financial crisis, Geo News reported.
The disruption has significantly affected academic and examination activities across the university, the report added.
The Karachi University Teachers' Society (KUTS), Geo News reported, has refused to end its protest, saying that ongoing negotiations and measures taken by the administration are not sufficient to resolve their concerns. The teachers are mainly protesting over delays in the house rent ceiling allowance and other pending financial demands.
Geo News further stated that the protest has badly impacted the university's academic schedule. University administration officials told Geo News that the teachers' body had already been informed about the institution's worsening financial situation, while Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Khalid Mahmood Iraqi has written to the Sindh chief secretary seeking a bailout package and financial assistance.
In a detailed letter cited by the media outlet, the vice chancellor highlighted the university's serious financial crisis and requested urgent support from the provincial government. The issue of the house rent ceiling allowance, the letter noted, has become a key factor behind the ongoing financial strain and administrative unrest.
The report also said that the federal government had announced an 85 per cent increase in the house rent ceiling for federal employees effective November 1, 2025, but this increase has not yet been implemented by the Sindh government or extended to the university.
The teachers' representatives maintained that delays in the payment of legitimate allowances are unacceptable, while the administration argued that these demands cannot be met without additional funding from the provincial government.
The crisis shows how badly public universities are struggling in Pakistan. Teachers are on strike due to unpaid benefits, while the government has not provided enough financial support. As a result, exams are stopped, and students are suffering. It reflects poor planning, money shortage, and weak coordination between authorities, which is damaging the education system and creating uncertainty for everyone involved. (ANI)