GU employees, pensioners took to the streets against non-payment of salaries
The employees and pension holders of Gomal University took to the streets against the non-payment of their salaries and pensions.
Hundreds of employees including pensioners and women carrying placards inscribed with their demand gathered and held a protest rally from the City Campus of Gomal University to the District Press Club, D I Khan.
The protestors demanded the authorities concerned to take measures for payment of their long overdue salaries at earliest.
The speakers including Dr Noor Muhammad, Riaz Khan, Ejaz Hussain Qureshi, Dr Sanaullah and Inayatulllah and other said that Gomal Univesity’s financial deficit had bulged to Rs 1 billion due to cut in budetorary allocations of the Higher Education Commission(HEC) by the government.
GU employees, pensioners took to the streets against non-payment of salaries
Thus, they demanded of the authorities to provide a bail out package to the university which was currently in serious financial strait and enable it to resolve these recurring issues.
They said if the government did not take measures for overcoming the financial crisis within three days, then they may opt for closing the university.
They said that the retired and women employees were also leading miserable lives as they too had not been paid their salaries and pensions for several months at a time when prices of daily use commodities were rising day by day and making it difficult for them to make both ends meet.
The protesting employees also claimed that Sardar Ali Amin’s political intervention in the Gomal University (GU) is also a reason for the increasing financial crisis in GU.
They said, Prof. Dr. Iftikhar Ahmed had started 22 new programs in the Gomal University to reduce the deficit, Dr. Iftikhar took the annual income of the university from Rs.64 crore to Rs.94 crore, merely the electricity bill of the hostel is up to Rs. 12 crore per annum which are also met from the university budget.
They further said that When Gomal University Vice-Chancellor Dr. Iftikhar Ahmed wrote a letter to pay the hostel expenses to the students after he found that political workers were residing in the hostel, Ali Amin Gandapur started a protest.
“Ali Amin Gandapur had also threatened Gomal University’s Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Iftikhar Ahmed, and then Ali Amin sent the VC on forced leave through Governor KP Mushtaq Ghani,” they alleged.
A pension holder of Gomal University Prof. (retd) Dr. Abdur Rahim Khan, while talking to *THe Asian Mirror* said, Gomal University has produced world leading scientists, bankers, judges, lawyers, academicians and bureaucrats who are playing pivotal roles in the development and progression of Pakistan. The current financial crisis at Gomal University has created an utter state of despondency not only among the currently serving employees but also those who gave their blood and sweat for its nourishment, due to non-payment of salaries and pensions from the last two months.
“The skyrocketing inflation and several diseases which the retired employees are suffering from (like Diabetes, cardiac problems etc) needs continues treatment and medication, and they do not have any other source to sustain themselves as well as their dependents except pensions” he said adding that “I strongly support the stance of Gomal University employees who are going on a peaceful march against the insensitive, irresponsible, inattentive behaviour of Government towards solving their problem, rather indulged in mere leg pullings/political confrontation, which caused financial, as well as psychological damage to the employee as well as pensioners who does not have any other source of income.”
He demanded the federal government, political and social figures of DIKhan as well as KP Govt to have mercy on Gomal University and approve a special grant for once for all solution of the long awaited problem of Gomal University.
Later, they proceeded in rally while passing through different places holding banners and chanting slogans against the federal and provincial government, HEC and political leaders of D I Khan for their ineptness to sort out these issues and ensure timely payment of salaries to employees. They culminated in a rally in front of Dera Press Club peacefully.
