(The article was first published in Daily Jeddojehad )
FC College University Lahore is in the news for the second time in a week, for the wrong reasons. It was reported last week that Prof. Pervez Hoodbhai has been sacked (although technically he has been given a one-year contract which will expire in 2021) but such contracts are in line with the trend in Pakistani universities. This means that the relevant academic is being fired.
Two days ago, Dr. Ammar Ali Jan announced his separation from FC College. Ammar Ali Jan has been sacked in almost the same manner in which Prof. Pervez Hoodbhai has been sacked.
The editorial published by (Jeddojehad) on the removal of Prof. Pervez Hoodbhai on June 17 may also be published for Dr. Ammar Ali Jan with a change of name, but with the following additions:
First, it is certain that the technical dismissal of Prof. Pervez Hoodbhai and Dr. Ammar Ali Jan from FC College points to a particular pattern. Earlier, Zaigham Abbas was sacked from Government College University in the same manner. This pattern means that academic martial law is being enforced in Pakistan.
Secondly: Prof. Pervez Hoodbhai and Dr. Ammar Ali Jan are facing this situation not once but continuously. In 2012, Professor Pervez Hoodbhai was sacked by the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) in a similar manner. Dr. Ammar Ali Jan has been fired for the third time in almost four years. Earlier, he was sacked from Government College University Lahore and Punjab University. It is as if a critical point of view is not allowed in any university.
Thirdly, not long ago Amir Iqbal of Government College University Lahore had to leave the country after exposing the worst financial scandals in his own university. Similarly, Professor Sajid of Khairpur University was also arrested a few days ago on the charge of blasphemy while a formal blasphemy campaign was launched against Dr Irfanah Mallah. It is as if not only the state, but also the corrupt bureaucrats in the universities, the mullahs and the establishment are on the same page on this issue.
The only crime of all the above academics is that these people were fulfilling their academic responsibilities as well as their social responsibility as citizens. Academics who work as full-time intellectuals and generally belong to the privileged strata of society generally shirk their social responsibilities.
The majority of them are English-speaking careerists. Academics seem to be lashing out at the ruling class, but they rarely clash with the ruling class. In a country like Pakistan, if academics are seen to play a progressive role as public intellectuals, it is considered an even more difficult task. In such cases, the above academics demand our respect even more as they always seem to stand with the subjugated classes.
It is the duty of the concerned university, civil society and the state to protect the academic liberties of such academics. We can disagree with them but we cannot silence them because in general it is to the detriment of the concerned university, society and the state.
Unfortunately, this loss is mostly to the oppressed classes. Whether it is Pervez Hood Bhai or Ammar Ali Jan, both have been teaching in universities where working or middle class students are enrolled. Those from affluent backgrounds either study abroad or in private universities here.
These dismissals are not just an attack on academic freedoms. It is tantamount to pushing the whole society backwards. What is happening with academics in the Imran Khan government happened earlier during the Zia dictatorship when teachers from Punjab University and Quaid-e-Azam University were ousted on political grounds. Unfortunately, two years ago, we saw the assassination of Professor Hassan Zafar Arif on political grounds in this country.
If martial law like of Zia dictatorship is imposed in the universities, then the nation should not expect intellectuals, poets, artists, scientists and academics. Universities will become madrassas which will produce suicide bombers and extremists but not Dr. Abdul Salam.
