Its members upset over being called for election duty the Karachi University Teachers Society (KUTS), has been in a protest mode. Last Thursday, the Society held a general body meeting where it was decided its members would resist any attempt to make them comply with the Election Commission’s notices to perform election duty. The next day, KUTS held another meeting to reiterate its stance on the issue. It took strong exception to what it described as “insulting language” of the district election commissioner’s notice that directed the addressees to attend mandatory training for assistant presiding offices and polling officers, with the warning that failure to comply with would be tantamount to violation of the Election Act, 2017. The tone of the notice may sound intimidating, but there is nothing insulting about the language considering that it is commonly used in such official communications.

At first glance, nonetheless, KUTS seems to have a case, for it is unfair to force people to do any work over and above their contractual obligations. But not so, when seen within the context in which its members have been asked to take up an additional responsibility, that of supervising the upcoming general elections. Besides, the arguments advanced by KUTS in defence of its position are rather untenable. First, is its contention that teachers at many other universities in Sindh as well as in other provinces are not being asked to perform election duty; its own people have never done that during the last 25 years. And further that its members are engaged in their own academic work. Indeed, teachers should be teaching and getting engaged in research and writing work. Moreover, supervising election in this country can be quite troublesome, especially for teachers unaccustomed to aggressive and rude behaviour commonly displayed at polling stations by the candidates and their workers. But for reasons of necessity, the polling staff is traditionally drawn from public sector schools and colleges. Those teachers also have academic demands to attend to. Seeking exemption for university level educator smacks a bit of academic arrogance - surely not a positive attribute.

The state has the prerogative to call upon anyone it deems necessary in times of need, in this case the most important national duty of holding polls in a fair and free manner. Needless to say, holding of general elections is a gigantic task. It requires a huge staff to undertake supervisory functions. The teachers at KUTS as well as other educational institutions may find it an arduous, even distasteful, job but it needs to be done.