Teachers at Karachi University are on strike over pending financial demands, including house ceiling allowance and leave encashment, disrupting routine academic activities.
This Silver Jubilee Gate of the Karachi University can be seen in an undated image. The university's teachers' association has led a week-long strike, suspending classes and boycotting examinations due to long-standing financial grievances. The protest has impacted multiple departments across the institution, with ongoing exams also affected. Teachers have warned that their boycott will continue until their demands are met.
At the heart of the dispute are two key issues: payment of the "house ceiling" allowance and leave encashment. Faculty members argue these benefits are a right they should receive without further delay. The "house ceiling" refers to accommodation-related support provided to university employees, with those residing on campus receiving university quarters or flats, while those living off-campus receive a fixed monetary housing allowance.
According to the KU administration, implementing both demands would require an estimated Rs550 million to Rs600 million, an amount the university claims it cannot currently afford. In response, Vice-Chancellor Dr Khalid Iraqi has written to the Sindh government, particularly the chief secretary, seeking guidance on the matter.
The university points out that the house ceiling policy was originally announced by the federal government and questions whether the Sindh government has formally adopted it. University officials are concerned about implementing the allowance without provincial approval, fearing it could create administrative and legal complications. Simultaneously, the administration has requested a financial package from the Sindh government to fulfill these demands.
However, so far, the university reports that it has not received any response from the provincial government, leaving negotiations at a standstill and academic activities disrupted.