IJT not allowed to meet Dr. Qadeer | Schools' transfers
IJT activists not allowed to meet Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan
Islamabad, May 29, 2008: Students protested Wednesday after police stopped them meeting
atomic scientist Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan on the 10th anniversary of the country's
first nuclear tests, witnesses said.
The group of around 50 students
from the hardline Jamaat-i-Islami party chanted slogans against President Pervez
Musharraf after they were prevented from handing gifts to Khan at his Islamabad
home, an AFP reporter witnessed. "We condemn the local administration's decision
to prevent the meeting," Jamaat-i-Islami student wing chief Hafiz Nadeem told
reporters outside Khan's house in an exclusive area of the
capital.
Students shouted slogans of "Al-jihad (holy war), our struggle
will continue till Khan is freed and Musharraf is ousted from power," as more
than 200 riot police equipped with shields and batons stood guard.
Nadeem said students would find another way to meet the "revered
scientist, who made Pakistan's defence impregnable." The News
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Transfers rife in schools after polls
Rawalpindi: About 500 teachers have been transferred after general election on February 18, exposing
large-scale political intervention into educational institutions, Saghir Alam,
the Punjab Teachers' Association president, said on
Thursday.
He said politicians were busy transferring teachers in their
constituencies instead of doing constructive work. In many cases, he claimed,
transfers were ordered without applications from teachers.
Alam said most
teachers had been transferred to Chontra, Murree, Kalar Syedan, Sadar Baroni and
Kotli Sattian leaving many vacancies at schools in rural areas. He claimed
classes were not being held at some schools because of shortage of teachers.
Education Department officials said people used to get admissions in
schools and stop inquiries against corrupt officers showing off visiting cards
and letters of MNAs and MPAs. The same method was adopted by teachers to get
themselves transferred to locations of their choice, they said.
They said
most transfers were ordered in educational institutions following the general
elections. Similarly, many officers, who were suspended or transferred in the
past, had been restored to their earlier positions curtsy new parliamentarians
and influential people.
Executive District Officer (Education) Chaudhary
Muhammad Yousaf said government officials were not in a position to say 'no' to
anyone with a visiting card or a letter from a parliamentarian.
He said
people threatened and abused the staff if they refused to entertain them.
He said influential people wanted that their job be done on priority
basis.
He said some staff members, belong to different political parties,
put pressure on their officers for promotions and transfers.
Illyas
Subhani, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) additional information
secretary, said mega changes in government offices took place with the change of
government. He said, "This culture should be changed."
He said
interference into government institutions was made from the top. He said if head
of a department were appointed on political grounds, the whole department would
be politicised. He said the government should make policies to rid institutions,
especially educational, of political interference.
The Asghar Mall
Government College vice principal said the government had left loopholes in
laws. Through quota system, he said, political leaders and influential people
were adjusted in colleges.
He said the government should abolish this
system, so that maximum students got admission on merit.
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Students see more job opportunities in journalism
Islamabad: Admissions to various disciplines in social and management sciences started at the National University
of Modern Languages (NUML) this week.
All the departments except Urdu and
Persian are attracting a good number of applicants, but the Department of Mass
Communication remained on top.
Surprisingly, the lecturers already
serving in the government-run institutions are submitting applications for
admission in the Mass Communication Department, as they want to join journalism
as a profession.
"Recently, the trend to study mass communication has
increased manifold and many candidates, especially females, want to become
journalists," said Muddassar Mukhtar, a NUML official. He said that it was
becoming hard for the university to accommodate such a large number of
students.
However, he regretted that the trend to get admission in Urdu
and Persian departments was declining drastically. "Students do not see good job
opportunities after completing their studies in Urdu, Pakistan Studies and
Persian and they are reluctant to get admission in these departments," he
added.
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Literary activities at FUUAST
Different extra-curricular and literary activities stated this week at the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and
Technology (FUUAST). Students have started enrolling their names for
participation in different activities including debate contests, Mushaira and
dramas based on social issues. Different committees have been set up to organise
these events. Daily Times
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