Sindh

KU fears IBA might take 52.25 acres of its land

KU administration forwarded the issue to its Syndicate that will decide the matter in its November 27 meeting.

Safdar Rizvi November 22, 2010

KARACHI: After acquiring ownership rights to the Institute of Business Administration’s city campus land in Saddar, now the IBA has its eyes on owning the campus land at the University of Karachi.

To give IBA the land it wants, the Ministry of Defence’s subsidiary body, Survey of Pakistan, has asked KU for the university map. The Survey of Pakistan is the organisation that deals with the technicalities of land mutation (changes in ownership). It conducts a survey of the land in question and then prepares a map, which is the final map of the land.

However, in order to protect its 52.25 acres, the KU administration has forwarded the issue - along with the letter from the Survey of Pakistan - to its Syndicate that will decide the matter in its November 27 meeting. The Syndicate, which is KU’s governing body, is responsible and has the authority to transfer university land ownership rights.

According to officials, IBA had written a letter to the Survey of Pakistan on May 4, requesting ownership rights of the institute’s academic and administration blocks, boys’ hostel and staff residence colony located at KU. Hence, they had asked for the organisation to conduct a survey to settle the transfer of rights.

Karachi University’s deputy registrar (legal) Asif Mukhtar said that the university asked the Syndicate to take up the issue in its meeting so that the university could protect the land and avoid it going into IBA’s hands.

On August 17, 1994, the Sindh Assembly had passed an act, upgrading IBA’s status to a degree-awarding institute and hence, approved the mutation and allotment of land to it as well. But the question is, if the IBA had permission to acquire ownership of the land since 1994, why is the issue being raised now? According to officials, IBA’s relatively new director and former State Bank governor Dr Ishrat Husain has been expediting the matter. Along with his letter to the Survey of Pakistan on May 4, he had written a letter to KU’s vice-chancellor Dr Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui on May 10, asking him for the university’s map and related land documents.

KU officials say that at the moment, neither does the IBA pay any rent nor does it pay for any utilities used by the institute. If IBA gets ownership of this vast tract, the university would lose highly valuable land with which it could possibly generate revenue if IBA paid rent or for utilities, officials add.

Condemning IBA’s demand for land ownership of its KU campus, Karachi University Teachers Society president Dr Abid Hasnain said the land belongs to the students of Karachi University. “We will not accept the land mutation to IBA at any cost.” He said that separating IBA from KU in 1994 was wrong and attempts were made to transfer ownership rights to them.

The land at stake

According to a KU engineer, IBA is claiming 52.25 acres of land which includes:

IBA residence: 25.61 acres (12.8 acres used and 12.81 acres unused)

Academic, administration block: 22.14 acres (6.63 acres used and 15.51 acres unused)

The boys’ hostel: 4.5 acres

Published in The Express Tribune, November 22^nd, 2010.

COMMENTS (47)

Usman Qaiser | 13 years ago | Reply haha this was not a fight for who produce better students...it was a fight for a land....which belonged to KU AND YES it was decided in the meeting that held on 28 november...that land owner is KU and IBA has no right to claim the ownership of the land on which it is situated =D issue resolved and accepted by the board of governors of IBA( that also include the vice chancellor of karachi university) plus it was stated that when IBA was given the land it had half the land it has by now....and they increased it by increasing their boundaries at times.....and continued to use university utilities without paying rent....so people who were flying in the air please come back to ur footsteps....IBA should definitely claim for a land to be issued for itself..but claiming the land which is already owned by other university was not a good decision... PEACE

OmerButt | 13 years ago | Reply IBA!!! \m/ If KU wants its land to be put to good use, it should hand over all of it to IBA!

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Chris Brown | 13 years ago | Reply To all those people 'Nostalgic' for IBA-KU days.... note, the world was an easier place than. Things were simpler. Pakistan was growing and you didn't have such turmoil. This is esp. for those people who're currently not impressed with the new 'managers'. IBA has and always will produce learders because they take the best and make them better and still continues to do so. All young leaders of today are IBIANs. 52 Acres is peanuts for a business school. Stanford is located over 8000 Acres, Harvard's Medical School alone is 22 Acres. If IBA is to compete in the upcoming world it will need to go beyond studies and setup excellence and entrepreneurship centers and should have the autonomy in its decisions. If that is what the dean has in mind, than Kudos! KU ONCE was a great institution. Now it's just a Political Den where marks are sold per rupee and teachers are non-existent. Such an institute should never have autonomy over a great institute like IBA. We Pakistanis live in the past. It's time to move on.

Ghair Inqalabi | 13 years ago | Reply That is hardly a justifiable argument. The IBA and KU coexist currently as well-and for for all intents and purposes the IBA is administratively independent of KU, so just on that basis you can't tell the IBA to shift its campus elsewhere. In fact, the IBA is now expanding its facilities and its probably for architectural planning etc, that they've asked for the maps (Dr. Ishrat, the new dean, is quite meticulous in such matters). So if there was ever a time to debate the IBA's independence, its already past. So give it a rest, friend, and think about other matters such as how KU's budget is employed when all the facilities are in such terrible shape, how much damage politicization is doing to this institution, and whether it might be more efficient just to break up KU into smaller, more manageable units, each dealing with a separate field or discipline. (BTW KU allowed NED another gate and a road thry its land on Abul Hasan Ispahani Road, so it looks like administrative hurdles can be overcome after all!)

MH | 13 years ago | Reply jeez. I thought IBA was complacent. Go LUMS. At least those guys are grounded and know how to see things for what they are rather than behaving like trainees saying "IBA forever!".

Salman Tai | 13 years ago | Reply My word!! y the heck students are fighting?? Let the managements and govt decide the matter.

Student | 13 years ago | Reply IBA forever! everything they are doing is totally justified...so all the haters should just stay quite!

Inqilabi | 13 years ago | Reply @Ghair Inqalabi....There is not question about IBA's status as separate degree awarding institution....the issue discussed here is 52 acres of land already under the ownership of Karachi University. As you people are aware about the geographical location of IBA....it is physically impossible....because IBA is situtated in the middle of KU....and for example the land ownership rights transferred to IBA (like HEJ, UBIT and others) the IBA have to deal with KU in daily affairs like security, water & swerage etc. I am 100% agreed that the discussed land was allocated to KU by the Sindh Govt.....that why i have propsed earlier that IBA should opt for new land....as this would end all the nitty gitties. @Shahrukh Rao....I am 100% agreed that KU is a mother institution of many reputed institutes like HEJ, UBIT, AERC....but they all worked independently under the big name of KU and excelled in their respetive fields. The wrong decision of '94 led to creation of a new department/ MBA Program in KU...which is a past thing. But I strongly advocate that we should jointly work for one large brand 'University of Karachi" rather than smaller brands. No doubt one day they also got their name excelled in their field....making the Alma Mater proud.

Hira Ashfaq | 13 years ago | Reply For all of those who think this argument started because the students of this prestigious University started bragging about their competency and superiority, it is not so. If being a neutral person, one reads the title, it is plainly accusing one Institute of trying and stealing land from the other. That, by no means, would feel right to any person who has attended that university. What exactly does the write mean when he says that IBA is "eyeing" the land in KU. IF the Institute of Business Administration acquired land in Saddar, it was to provide its student with the best infrastructure and technology - something that they needed for the education. The hassle of permission and approvals was probably eliminated this way. Now, when for the betterment of the Institute, the Dean is trying for more development at the University campus, it is being portrayed as if the Institute plans to develop a playground/party hall there. The sole purpose of such a development is to provide students like the one studying in KU, with facilities without any restrictions and hassle. IT should not be portrayed as if somebody is trying to take something away from KU; IF people want respect, they should earn it. Don't portray IBA as a place that is just hogging space for the fun of it; they are doing more than ever for its Students.

Nabeeha | 13 years ago | Reply This is just sad, and by that I don't mean the article above but some of the comments below.This is all I have to say: http://thedramathatispak.blogspot.com/2010/11/what-they-dont-teach-you-in-school.html

Umair Waheed Sheikh, Khayban e Hafiz,IBA Karachi | 13 years ago | Reply Woohoo IBA wins. VP Zindabad.

Shahrukh Rao | 13 years ago | Reply KU has been mother institution to many universities/institutions,most notable are NED,DMC & IBA.It has been seen that whenever a institution affiliated with KU matures,its made independent whether they be in the premises of KU or outside,like the computer science department of KU which now has become Umaer Basha institute of technology under process to get affiliation from MIT,HEJ Initiative and others.Its a good tradition of KU and need to be appreciated.KU is recognized through out the world which IBA & LUMS has not reached yet b/c KU consists of around 63 departments while they concentrate in few, anyhow though KU often face fund deficits and the lacks administration part but it doesn't mean that it lacks competitive departments altogether like if anyone compare KU Comp Sci with IBA CS,obviously KU is far better.IBA is undoubtedly a very good institute and it do needs improvements too which its undergoing through Dr.Ishrat Hussain's leadership but it doesn't justify that IBA need not to pay its dues if any(I don't know anything definite about it). Again i repeat Overall KU lacks funds and administration,its agreed beyond doubt while IBA & LUMS needs cultural assimilation,when i entered IBA in 2008 in MBA (morning,main campus) after BS(Computer Sci) from KU and a year of corporate exposure,i really felt it,here feeling of being privileged is thought to be proud of rather feeling responsibility and humbleness,same goes with LUMS,it was really disgusting to me because such emotions only breeds from ignorance. Regards, KU & IBA Alumni Shahrukh Rao

Imtiaz | 13 years ago | Reply If I am not mistaken, ALL of IBAs "leaders" were from its KU days. for the past few years (read 10+), all IBA has been doing is creating a bunch of zombies with a completely unjustified air of superiority. If all of you IBA students should have learnt something, it would to humility and respect for everyone. I belong to neither KU nor IBA, but having worked in Pakistan's corporate sector for over 10 years, I am at times disappointed by the quality of students that IBA produces. Quite honestly, coming from IBA doesnt make IBA students worth what they think they are, its the application of knowledge, thought process and insight. and im sorry but I have seen very few that have impressed me. the ones that have, are from IBA's KU days. That, by the way, doesnt mean that I love other universities. Note to all you IBA kids. Stop berating the institution that has given your university the status it has. Think about respecting your teachers. KU is IBA's Alma Mater.

Fariya | 13 years ago | Reply What's the debate about? If the SA has legally made IBA an independant degree granting institute as of '94, then IBA has the right to grant it's own degrees and the right to the land it's situated on. So that's one issue solved. If IBA has any back dues not paid off (dues pre-'94), then KU has a right to demand that sum out of IBA, given they have the record to support their claim. So what's the debate about? Also, IBA FOREVER. Now, the debate's over

Ghair Inqalabi | 13 years ago | Reply Sorry, but...you wish!!! Look, what's done is done...IBA is a separate degree awarding institution, and it's independent of KU. The land was also officially allocated to IBA when it was made independent. So those people are only claiming what's already theirs. KU didn't purchase this land or anything, it was given to them by the Govt, just like the Govt. has given part of that land to IBA. So you can't really expect to get rent for that property. And just fact it: the relation between IBA and KU is nowhere similar to that of HEJ and KU or AERC and KU...

Xalo | 13 years ago | Reply NED UET is next to be shut down.. wo bhi to K.U ki hai Land haina :D

Xalo | 13 years ago | Reply Yes Mr.Inqilabi is right.. let the Inqilaab begin from shutting down IBA :p P.S: Plzzz... w8 till next summer and let me graduate first.. plzzz plzz eill ya :s

Copper | 13 years ago | Reply Totally agree with Inqilabi, if every institution started awarding its own degrees KU will be torned into pieces (HEJ, UBIT, AERC etc. ). The decision was wrong which led KU to start parallel MBA program which further degrades quality of the students. IBA should be merged back into KU!

Inqilabi | 13 years ago | Reply @Hashim Abbasi "IBA has been creating future leaders for 6 decades" - Sir with due respect, here we Paki's are wrong....business school are nor meant for creating leaders or managers but their true definition is generating entrepreneurs....who innovate new business ideas and contribute in the economy of the country. But IBA (no offense) or other business schools lack this basic idea....a large number of their alumunus either go abroad or work as managers. Regarding the news item...the IBA was just a department of KU before 1994 and enjoy facailities like any other department in the varsity. After their status upgrade as degree awarding institute they should supposely worked under the auspices of KU as other institutes like HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry, Centre for Excellence in Marine Biology, UBIT etc. All the mentioned institutes are governed by a board, their own academic body, their annual budget, etc... but, with an autonomous status. The degree issued to their students are actually from KU...not of their own. But IBA (since its liberation...sorry) are using KU facilities/ amenities but did not pay the rentals. Now this new fiasco....if they want a complete break away from KU why don't they request to Sindh Government for land. It also gives IBAians a piece of mind....away from KU restrictions. I beleive that 1994 decision was wrong....if world class reputed institutions like HEJ runs under the auspices of KU...why not others. Now that IBA is totally independent in their affairs....they should vacate the varsity land and build their own campus on their own land.

jfarooq | 13 years ago | Reply plssss ppl..let iba have what it wants..iba is IBA after all..and yea KU is just jealous..:p

Asad | 13 years ago | Reply No need to fight over a piece of a land. its as much sacred as if used by KU or IBA. at least Its being used for education purpose. IBA will always care for these things. if there is any issue IBA will never let anything bad or injustice to KU (Matter of fact: zero corruption policy). Kindly stop posting more on this site. Go and study hard no need to waste time and energy. There are other important things in life to do. The comming days are much more awful and dangerous, so be prepared. Study hard and be sincere to urself. (I mean no offence to anyone)

Muhammad Furqan | 13 years ago | Reply i think we'll die fighting each other. i didn't get any logic of overtaking the land from the educational institute by an educational institute. already our people is dealing with the bad governance of the government and now the youth has got a chance to fight for the land for their own institute! wow..! what education we are getting now..!

Hira Ashfaq | 13 years ago | Reply The quality of education that IBA is providing their students should not be a worry for other people, rest assured. The land on which IBA is built, within the prestigious Karachi University, rightfully belongs to IBA according to the constitution that is also mentioned above in the article - if somebody has been naive enough to miss it. If the transfer hasn't happened yet, it is high time that the sleeping authorities wake up and do so.

Samra Khan | 13 years ago | Reply Blah. KU is jealous of IBA.

Shehnaz Arif | 13 years ago | Reply The article on this website brilliantly sums up the situation:- http://kanwalful.blogspot.com

Copper | 13 years ago | Reply Dr Ishrat should focus more on the quality of education at IBA than land-grabbing.

Usman Qaiser | 13 years ago | Reply Being a student of KU i would say that IBA definitely needs to own a land for its institution but that land should not be university of Karachi, which is the best government university in Pakistan. When this university(KU) was actually made it dint had all the Departments , Research institutes, Science museums, space science things that it has by THIS time. The Land was used whenever there was a need for a new field or research based institute. Karachi university might not be using some of its land by now..but nobody is sure that it might not be needing space for the construction of some new technological field that pops up. Even now if you take a look these days more and more departments are under construction. The land which was provided to university of karachi should remain in the ownership of University of karachi. IBA is no doubt one of the best Private business schools and it should not be the one claiming the ownership inside a government Institute. Thankyou

Namreen Syed | 13 years ago | Reply Tut tut tut...why doesn't KU get it... helping IBA grow will do good to the nation as a whole...nobody is denying the fact that there are foreign students at KU and that it has produced fine professionals... The facts that KU doesn't need the land and that IBA rightfully owns it are too glaring to ignore. Dr Ishrat has grand plans for IBA and the transfer might just help some of them to materialize :)

Sadaf Yacoob | 13 years ago | Reply Exactly what does the KU think it can do with the "52.somethingamy" acres of land, that it can't do with the rest of the 1200? The KU is freakishly HUMONGOUS! and it doesn't use the land it has: come look at it some time, we're not kidding.

maryam zahoor | 13 years ago | Reply HAHAHAH!!! land space is the LAST thing KU should be thinking of!

Faizan Majid | 13 years ago | Reply After acquiring ownership rights to the Institute of Business Administration’s city campus land in Saddar...oh the unfair brutes...how dare they! It is interesting to note that an elitist and 'yo' paper like ET has published an anti-elitist piece like this...are they trying a little hard to 'uphold the integrity of journalism'...or trying to get all the IBA students to post here? :P oh and what commercial use, you ask? why, KU exports the jadi bootiyan that grow wild over most of its 1200 acres of land (according to their facebook page (yes they have a facebook page))... btw...all the roads that lead to the IBA land pass thru KU land...so it'd be interesting if KU forbids IBA ppl from passing over their land...then we'd have a sorta Berlin airlift situation at our hands :D KU FOREVER!! :P

umair | 13 years ago | Reply http://kanwalful.blogspot.com/2010/11/karachi-university-at-loggerheads-with.html Express Tribune and KU staff please read this and stop trying to attract some attention KU Fears oh my god ... Are they going to make restaurants on that land and make money

umair | 13 years ago | Reply IBA has operated on this land from long and has put its money to good use. The Campus and facilities are top class and the jealous KU staff which would have converted IBA into its failing commerce department does not even deserve its own land. KU should succumb to our desires and wants because we no messing with you

Sidrat | 13 years ago | Reply I wish this didn't have to be about IBA vs. KU or which institutions produced better students. The stakeholders of both institutions should think in terms of long term benefits of the educational quality of the institutions. KU apparently has nothing to lose but IBA has a lot to gain if the conflict is resolved. Why as a nation should we continue to be obstacles to each others' progress? Pareto improvement, anyone?

Usman Ali Ahmed | 13 years ago | Reply basically its a game of Monetary gains Quote: KU officials say that at the moment, neither does the IBA pay any rent nor does it pay for any utilities used by the institute. If IBA gets ownership of this vast tract, the university would lose highly valuable land with which it could possibly generate revenue if IBA paid rent or for utilities, officials add. Un Quote khanay peenay ka game hai aur kuch nahin IBA owns the land in every sense of the Word KU personnel have never even tended to the land, correct me if i am wrong, KU has not spent a single Rupee in maintenance of the land since 1994, under the guise that IBA is now autonomous, but when IBA within its right of being autonomous starts upgrading the infra-structure, Notice the New Academic Block and the Refurbished auditorium( the convocation this year will be held there), the hawks come down and start claiming that IBA has no right to use said land and the land belongs to KU and all funds and other stuff should be under the supervision of the KU authority

Hira Ashfaq | 13 years ago | Reply what a biased piece. When IBA was awarded the status of a degree awarding institute, the land was given to it. IBA can EYE its own land; it is NOT KU's anymore. And for the wellbeing of the many students of The Karachi University, there is acres of land that is being wasted as of today. Why doesn't the KU administration work on that?

He who must not be named :p | 13 years ago | Reply The oldest business school outside North America should get the land so that it could do better, what it has been excelling at for 6 decades. And it's all part of a grand plan as Suhaib mentioned. IBA Forever Period

Waleed | 13 years ago | Reply The boys’ hostel: 4.5 acres Best place in whole city.

Ali Hemani | 13 years ago | Reply Read it again: "On August 17, 1994, the Sindh Assembly had passed an act, upgrading IBA’s status to a degree-awarding institute and hence, approved the mutation and allotment of land to it as well." That land belongs to IBA. All that IBA has done is to ask the relevant authorities to mark the land and transfer it.

Nofal Khan | 13 years ago | Reply the rightful heir of that land is CBM actually. No kidding.

Suhaib | 13 years ago | Reply IBA has every right to take ownership of the land. This is probably a part of Dr. Ishrat's gran plan of finally landing IBA a spot in the world's top 100 business schools list. And for that, IBA needs to expand and develop it's campuses to offer better facilities. And for THAT, IBA needs more land that it can develop on without any inhibitions. GO IBA!

Munib Agha | 13 years ago | Reply Those 52.35 acres of land are probably the best place to be inside the premises of Karachi University. IBA forever!!!!

Sindhu | 13 years ago | Reply Overtaking sucha big piece of land wouldnt make IBA a SUPER institute. KU has its departments running too. Its not that only IBA has been creating future leaders all this time. People acquiring education in different departments of KU such as International Relations, Mass Communication etc are doing brilliant job in their own respective fields. I don't really appreciate anyone being biased about the superiority of people studying at IBA. Truly unconventional that is. There are many foriegners studying at KU aswell. Its a HUGE institute anyway.

Talha Khan | 13 years ago | Reply Iba is not just an institution infact its a whole under world mafia,KU management should succummbed to our un-realistic demands,otherwise we ll see another land.......

Hashim Abbasi | 13 years ago | Reply I think IBA should get the land, my comments are not based on being an IBA alumnus but based on the fact that IBA has been creating future leaders for 6 decades now and its about time they get the land to expand their facilities in order for it to continue this proud tradition. Compared to other universities, IBA lacks modern facilities cause frankly speaking they dont have the land to expand. Imagine what IBA can do with the extra land compared to what it has already achieved with the little it has right now.

Amina Ansari | 13 years ago | Reply I think all the business schools need to start opening multiple campuses across the cities, IBA, CBM, Iqra, SZABIST & KASBIT should start. The suggestion is more of a logistical & security issue than anything else; students need to be able to move from campus to home easily and swiftly and in light of terrorists attacks, they should not be stranded or in most cases, kept away from taking faster routes home. Minister of Edu, please take note

Umair Waheed Sheikh, Khayban e Hafiz,IBA Karachi | 13 years ago | Reply Dont mess with IBA. KU students should understand that. Otherwise we will have the entire land of KU.

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