Karachi University wants IBA cars off its land

The two institutions are at odds again over land. This time, parking at Valika Ground.

KARACHI: The Karachi University (KU) and the Institute of Business Administration, Karachi (IBA) are at odds again over land — this time parking at Valika Ground.

The KU administration is irritated that IBA never sought its permission. KU Registrar Professor Kaleem Raza Khan has written to IBA Director Dr Ishrat Hussain, asking him to stop using KU land as a parking lot. IBA, built across 52 acres, has been using the Valika Ground for parking for a long time. The university building takes very little space, with the rest of the land being left empty within the boundary walls of the IBA campus. Khan wrote that the KU administration has made the same request several times but IBA has yet to follow up. Because of the cars parked on Valika Ground, which is right across from IBA, traffic has become a nuisance.

KU Pro Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Nasiruddin Khan said that KU is often a centre for examinations and during these times, candidates use this way to come to the university and the IBA student parking aggravates the entire situation. “KU plans to use this space as a parking lot for its own students and staff. IBA has its own space but it still refuses to use it.”

New block

Sindh Minister for Education and Literacy Pir Mazhar-ul-Haq inaugurated the newly furbished academic block at the IBA City Campus, APP reported Monday. The minister praised the effort and the standard of education at IBA as well as the quality of its students, faculty and administrative culture.

The building is constructed over a covered area of 32,291 square feet and has been fully renovated at a cost of Rs59 million. The centrally air-conditioned academic block houses six classrooms, eight break-out rooms and two seminar halls which are equipped with audio-visual equipment. It also has one video conferencing hall that enables students to attend lectures delivered by renowned academicians across the world.

The Centre for Executive Education is also within the premises. The centre serves as a primary source of business education for senior- and middle-level management in the corporate, private and public sectors. IBA Dean and Director Dr Ishrat Husain gave an overview of IBA’s strategy for the next three years and the landmarks that have been achieved so far. Haq applauded the efforts of the architects, engineers and project teams.

Talking about the recent developments at IBA, the director of projects emphasised the significance of state-of-the-art infrastructure as an important tool to provide an ideal academic environment. The Institute of Business Administration is undergoing a major expansion phase under which all present facilities are being upgraded and several new facilities will be added at both Karachi campuses.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 15^th, 2011.