IBA mulls alternative route from Maskan to main campus

Meeting scheduled today to discuss roadmap

KARACHI:

The Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi will be holding a meeting today (Saturday) to discuss the possibility of constructing an alternative route from the University of Karachi's (KU's) Maskan Gate to its main campus, built on the KU's premises.

The move came following an altercation between an IBA student and a KU teacher.

During the meeting of the board of governors today, chaired by IBA executive director Dr Akbar Zaidi, an agenda under the heading of 'Relations between the IBA and KU and the way forward' will be discussed among other things.

The meeting will ponder on a roadmap to construct an alternative route.

The proposed route will require those visiting the IBA main campus to take a detour from the KU examination complex towards the campus' backside, from where they would be able to enter the IBA campus. For the purpose, a road needed to be built, the approval for which is to be given by the KU syndicate.

Read: KU professors in uproar over IBA student’s misconduct

Sources in the KU privy to the development told The Express Tribune on the condition of anonymity that no request for the construction of the proposed road had been sent by the IBA yet.

This was confirmed by the KU administration.

The IBA does not have the ownership of its main campus at the KU and the route connecting Maskan Gate to the campus' entrance. In the past, attempts have been made for the transfer of ownership rights to the IBA.

Probe into fight

An IBA student had a dispute with a KU teacher, Mustafa Haider, in February. A disciplinary committee was constituted by the IBA to look into the matter and the student's alleged misconduct.

According to sources in the IBA, who asked not to be named, the student in questioned hadn't appeared before the disciplinary committee, but had submitted a written apology stating that he was unaware that the person he was having a fight with was a KU teacher.

The sources said CCTV footage of the incident showed Haider and KU guards beating the student.

On the other hand, sources in the KU maintained that Haider's act was in reaction to the student's misconduct. The matter was aggravated due to verbal abuse by student present at the spot, KU sources said.