PUASA 2022 elections on 17th

LAHORE:With 17 February as the polling day, different teachers’ groups at Punjab University (PU) are gearing up for the university’s Academic Staff Association (ASA) election 2022.

Two main groups, PU CoPs & TF (an alliance of Council of Professionals and Teachers Front) and Academic Group have fielded their candidates for the ASA body for 2022 by starting massive online campaign. The on-campus election campaign is likely to pick up momentum this week.

Academic Group has announced Prof Dr Khalid Mahmood, Dean, Faculty of Information and Media Studies as their candidate for the seat of ASA President whereas Engr Prof Dr M Azhar Naeem, Director Institute of Electrical, Electronics & Computer Engineering is the candidate for ASA President from the CoPs & TF. While Prof Azhar Naeem has earlier won as VP Science (ASA), including the 2021 ASA, and also as Treasure in the past but he had lost ASA election for the seat of President a couple of years back as an independent candidate. On the other hand, Prof Dr Khalid Mahmood had only contested for ASA election in the past once but could not win.

For the seat of ASA Secretary, the incumbent Secretary Dr Amjad Abbas Khan Magsi of Pakistan Study Centre (PSC) is the candidate from CoPs & TF while Dr Abdul Majid Khan Rana from the Institute of Education & Research is Academic Group’s candidate for ASA Secretary.

Talking to The News, Prof Dr Khalid Mahmood said Academic Group had an inspiring history of serving the PU faculty members and added teachers’ welfare was again on top of his group’s manifesto this year. He regretted that owing to split mandate the incumbent ASA body could not deliver as it should. He said many of the teachers’ issues such as backdate appointments and service structure and issues of the TTS faculty could not be solved. He added his group had done record works in 2019 and 2020 with creation of new posts and record promotions to mention a few.

Prof Dr Khalid Mahmood said that some of the other important points in the Academic Group’s manifesto this year were setting up of a PU Teachers Foundation, a quality public school and scholarships for the children of the university’s teachers. He said that his group would also work for the provision of budget and staff for the newly-created departments in the Punjab University as well as addressing issues at the PU health centre etc.

CoPs & TF candidate for ASA secretary, Dr Amjad Abbas Khan Magsi who is also the secretary of the association said that PUASA 2021 had struggled for reviving the true role of ASA as a real representative of teaching community rather puppet in the hands of the administration. He said the incumbent PU ASA protected the university’s assets and especially launched a successful movement for PU Gujranwala Campus and succeeded in retaining its status against the proposal of turning it in to University of Gujranwala. He said PUASA under umbrella of FAPUASA Punjab chapter launched very successful movement for grant of special allowance for University teachers which was denied earlier by the Provincial government and finally it has been allowed by the government.

Dr Amjad Magsi said that owing to the ASA’s efforts the stalled research projects were revived and amounts were enhanced while a calendar was also issued for various research activities of the teaching faculty. He further said for the encouragement of the faculty the stalled Performance Evaluation Awards were issued twice a year while incentive awards for publications were granted. He said remuneration for PhD supervision was enhanced after two decades while the stalled increments for Professors and Associate Professors were restored.

It is pertinent to mention that from the CoPs & TF, Prof Dr Farah Rauf Shakoori is the candidate for Vice-President (Science), Prof Dr Ahmad Bilal for Vice-President (Arts), Dr Maliha Uroos for Joint Secretary and Dr Amer Masood is the candidate for the seat of Treasurer.

Similarly, from the Academic Group, Dr Abdul Rehman Khan Niazi is the candidate for Vice-President (Science), Dr Hafiz Moqeet Bhatti for Vice-President (Arts), Dr Mudassar Azam for Joint Secretary and Munawar Iqbal is the candidate for the seat of Treasurer.