KARACHI, Pakistan, June 2 (ANI) — Nearly 50,000 students at Pakistan’s largest university have been left in uncertainty as a teachers’ boycott of semester examinations over unpaid dues entered its fourth consecutive week, according to a report by Dawn.
The prolonged disruption has stalled academic activities, delayed examinations, and heightened anxiety among students and parents, with no clear timeline for the resumption of exams.
Students now face the prospect of significant delays to the academic calendar, compressed semesters, and the possible loss of scheduled semester breaks.
According to Dawn, faculty members at the University of Karachi began their boycott on May 5 in protest over the non-payment of dues related to evening classes, exam supervision, paper setting, copy checking, exam vigilance, house ceiling, and leave encashment.
The teachers have also called for an independent investigation into the university’s financial management and have stated that the boycott will continue until their demands are addressed.
The ongoing impasse has left many students frustrated about their academic future.
“I don’t want to continue further studies at KU anymore. I’m so fed up with this broken system,” one student told Dawn, expressing frustration over what he described as inadequate academic facilities despite paying fees on time.
A first-year student from the Department of International Relations said the uncertainty had overshadowed her first semester at the university.
“It’s my first semester at KU. I am still learning how the system works and adapting to university life. I prepared extensively for the exams, studying day and night, only to have them cancelled unexpectedly,” she said.
“My biggest concern now is that if the exams are rescheduled during the semester break, as it is rumored, the entire break will be spent preparing for and taking exams. This uncertainty has completely disrupted my plans and added unnecessary stress.”
A student from the Department of English criticized the lack of communication regarding the examination schedule.
“Just like many other students, I am frustrated due to the prolonged delay in examinations and the lack of clear communication from both the university and teachers. We are uncertain about when exams will take place and worried about the impact on the next semester,” the student said.
A final-year Visual Studies student noted that disputes between the university administration and faculty have become a recurring issue.
While teachers and administrators eventually reach agreements, the student said, “students are the ones who suffer the most from such delays.”
The student added that nearly a month of the academic year has already been lost, with no clear plan from the university on how the time will be recovered.
“We do not know whether the next semester will be shortened, whether multiple papers will be scheduled on the same day, or how the lost time will be managed,” the student said.
The student also expressed concern about rising fees and declining educational standards.
“The fee structure is now approaching that of private universities, but the facilities are nowhere near the same standard,” the student said. “Sometimes I wonder whether it would have been better to enroll in a private university.”
Students have also taken to social media to criticize the Sindh government and the Universities and Boards Department, questioning the lack of intervention in resolving the dispute.
Speaking to Dawn, Karachi University Teachers Society President Syed Ghufran Alam acknowledged the difficulties faced by students but said responsibility lies with the university administration.
“Students are suffering, but not because of teachers. The responsibility lies with the bad management,” Alam said.
He argued that the university administration has failed to balance revenue collection with the timely payment of salaries and dues owed to employees.
Alam said faculty members had become increasingly frustrated after years of unsuccessful efforts to engage the administration in meaningful dialogue.
Addressing concerns about the delayed examinations, he said students would be given sufficient time to prepare once the dispute is resolved.
“We will facilitate students and take the student organizations on board. Any decision to restart exams will be announced a few days in advance,” Alam said.
He added that the implementation of a revised academic schedule would ultimately depend on decisions made by the university administration. (ANI)
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