The Sindh Provincial Assembly has passed an amendment allowing the appointment of bureaucrats as vice chancellors in the province’s universities, sparking strong protests from the opposition.

The bill, presented by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar, was passed despite ongoing protests by university faculty.

The passage of the Sindh University and Institutes (Amendment) Bill has been met with widespread condemnation from academics.

For the past two weeks, university lecturers have suspended teaching and staged protests against the proposed changes.

The Federation of Pakistan University Academic Staff Associations (FAPUASA), a representative body for university faculty, has warned that the decision will severely damage the administrative affairs of universities.