UET withdraws decision to cut salaries, pensions

LAHORE:Following assurance from the Punjab governor/ chancellor, the University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Lahore withdrew its decision to cut salaries and pensions of its employees while deducted amounts have been paid to the employees.

A UET spokesperson said the decision was taken in result of the efforts of Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Syed Mansoor Sarwar and on the directions of Chancellor UET/Governor Punjab Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar. The Chancellor instructed the university not to make any cut to salaries and pensions of university staff and pay their full dues on time.

Meanwhile, addressing a press conference UET Teaching Staff Association (UET-TSA) president Dr Fahim Gohar Awan thanked the governor, Chairman PHEC Dr Fazal Ahmad Khalid, VC Dr Mansoor Sarwar and announced postponing protest over the issue scheduled today outside the Governor House.

Dr Fahim Gohar Awan said the government should find a solution to the financial crisis of UET on a permanent basis. He said the government supported Rachna College of Engineering & Technology (RCET) Gujranwala and Muhammad Nawaz Sharif UT Multan in the construction of UET budget demanded billions of rupees spent on these institutes should be returned to the UET Lahore.

The UET-TSA president said that on the one hand the government was weeping over the financial crisis and on the other hand the Punjab Chief Minister was announcing three additional salaries for the employees of his favorite sectors.

“Giving incentives to certain sectors creates a sense of deprivation in other sectors,” he said and added employees of FIA, NAB and other federal agencies working in similar grades to teachers had been given allowances in addition to salaries by the federal government. Terming the same injustice, he said this was the worst example of pro-class sentiment and added dignity of teachers was taken care of all over the world.

“We want the government of Pakistan to take care of the dignity of teachers as well. UET teachers and employees had contributed Rs. 2.5 million to the Prime Minister's Corona Relief Fund. The TSA president said that by cutting the budget for higher education, the government had strangled the universities,” he said.

Responding to a question, Dr Fahim said increase in fees was not the solution to the financial crisis as universities never run on fees. We are personally sorry for the increase in children's fees, he said and added but universities were forced to do so.

In response to another question, he said, "We hope that there will be no more cuts. If this happens, we reserve the right to protest, which is our constitutional and democratic right,” he added.

UET-TSA president appreciated efforts of Punjab Governor Ch Sarwar and said teachers hoped that as Chancellor, the Governor would continue his efforts to save UET from the financial crisis permanently. He also thanked Opposition Leader Mian Shahbaz Sharif, MPA Hina Pervaiz Butt and other MPs, members of civil society and media to highlight the UET financial crisis.