LAHORE: Thousands of teachers and employees of the University of the Punjab on Wednesday staged what the Joint Action Committee described as a historic protest for their “legitimate rights”, announcing that the protest would continue until their demands were accepted.
The protest, held on August 12, 2026, was organised by the Joint Action Committee, University of the Punjab. Office-bearers of the Punjab University Academic Staff Association and the Punjab University Administrative & Technical Staff Association, along with a large number of faculty members and employees, participated in the demonstration.
Addressing the gathering, Joint Action Committee Chairman Prof Dr Sardar Asghar Iqbal alleged that the Vice Chancellor was patronising a specific group within the university, which, he said, had badly affected the institution’s financial and administrative affairs.
Prof Dr Abdul Rehman Khan Niazi, Joint Action Committee Senior Vice President Prof Dr Muqeet Javed, Dr Abrar Zafar, Prof Dr Kamran Mirza and other faculty members were also present on the occasion.
Punjab University Administrative & Technical Staff Association President and Joint Action Committee President Chaudhry Basharat Mahmood said the employees had been protesting peacefully for the last one and a half years, but the administration had shown “stubbornness”.
“We have been protesting peacefully for the past one and a half years, but the administration has shown stubbornness. Now we are compelled to take practical protest actions,” he told the gathering.
Announcing the future course of action, Chaudhry Basharat Mahmood said work would be suspended for two hours daily inside offices as a mark of protest while employees would wear black armbands. He also announced that a protest rally would be held every Wednesday.
He warned that if the administration did not show seriousness, the protesters would be forced to block the Campus Bridge. He further said protests would also be held outside the office of the Chief Minister of Punjab and on GT Road near the Gujranwala and Jhelum campuses.
Chaudhry Basharat Mahmood demanded immediate resolution of the issues faced by teachers and employees and payment of all outstanding dues.
He alleged that DG Rehan Sadiq Sheikh, for whom he said no post had previously existed, misbehaved with employees and was responsible for the deteriorating administrative and financial conditions of the university. He demanded that DG Rehan Sadiq Sheikh be dismissed immediately.
The protesters also demanded that the Government of Punjab conduct a forensic audit of the university’s financial and administrative affairs.
Tayyab Ijaz Khan Swati, Tanveer Awan, Hammad Butt, Azhar Iqbal Baloch and former association president Nasir Rehmat also addressed the protest.
The Joint Action Committee made it clear that the protest movement would continue until the acceptance of its demands.
