Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA) on Saturday appreciated Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani’s decision to enforce 75 percent tax rebate and a 65 years retirement age.

In a statement, FAPUASA Pakistan President Dr Kaleemullah Bareach said, “We are thankful to the senators, especially the members of devolution committee for their efforts to resolve long standing issues of enhancement of retirement age to 65 years and 75 percent tax rebate faced by university teachers throughout Pakistan.”

The recommendations are forwarded to the concerned ministries for implementation. The concerned ministries will report their implementation to Senate within 60 days, or even their objections, if any.

The statement added that keeping in view the importance of higher education, university teachers should be amongst the highest paid professionals.

Yet, the teaching fraternity in Pakistan is low paid, neglected and their perks and privileges are so meagre as compared to other professions of the country. To attract capable leaders of higher education, the government should play its role by offering the highly qualified university teachers lucrative pays and allowances, and so the 75 percent tax rebate is the first step in this direction.

It further added that higher education in Pakistan still lacked highly qualified and capable academicians. At the age of 60, a professor approaches the peak of his research and teaching. Retiring at this stage deprives the nation the knowledge repositories. In developed countries, the professor never retires, they added.

In parliamentary democratic systems, power is vested in the people, who exercise their power through elected representatives in the parliament which is the most superior forum. Heeding the stake holders, the parliament has shown its respect towards its people, which is admirable, the statement read.

Published in Daily Times, February  18^th 2018.