Federal Urdu University has had no convocation for years, says Jamaat-e-Islami leader

No convocation ceremony has been organised at the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology (Fuuast) for years and it is “astonishing that the university is being run without a vice chancellors for months now,” said Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi chief Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman on Tuesday.

He was addressing a gathering arranged at Fuuast by the Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba Pakistan, the student wing of the JI, in honour of the recent graduates of the varsity. He said the progress of nations was linked to their education systems “but our rulers have pushed our new generation towards the dark ages”.

“Our president, governors and chief ministers attend convocations of private varsities but they are least bother to visit state-run institutions”, he remarked. When student unions were active, he said, convocations were held on a regular basis and all sort of facilities for students were also available. “Today, the government varsities are in a shambles but our rulers continue to ignore the education sector,” Naeem said.

Lashing out at Prime Minister Imran Khan, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and other top politicians, he questioned that could anyone of them name any five government schools where they could admit their children and grandchildren.

“The past and present rulers are responsible for a broken education system,” he said, adding that they were also responsible for keeping masses illiterate.

“There is no any significant allocation for research work and on the contrary the government varsities’ fee has been increased, making it difficult for the poor to educate children,” he lamented.

Fuuast registrar Sajid Jahangir, Geology Department’s head Seema Naz and provincial lawmaker Syed Abdul Rasheed also addressed the gathering. Parents, teachers and students were in attendance.

Earlier on Jan 7, taking notice of a story published in The News about an administrative crisis in Fuuast prevailing for two months due to non-appointment of the institution’s head, the President of Pakistan had appointed Professor Dr Arif Zubair the university’s acting vice chancellor.

The non-appointment of VC had adversely affected the administrative affairs in the institution. The acting VC had said it was his top priority to complete the process for appointment of a permanent vice chancellor.