JI warns PPP against 'encroachment' on DJ College building

Hafiz Naeemur Rehman says will resist establishing Sindh govt offices at the heritage site

KARACHI:

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi chief Engr Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has warned the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government in Sindh over what he called a conspiracy against the historical Dayaram Jethamal Sindh Government Science College, commonly known as DJ Science College, to encroach upon its building.

The JI leader on Wednesday expressed grave concerns over an 85 per cent decline in admissions to the college, construction work in the heritage building for government offices, a shortage of teachers, and classrooms in the educational institute.

He anointed the reported developments as nefarious designs by the PPP government in Sindh against education in the city to fulfil the greed of party leadership for land and resources.

On the occasion, he vowed not to let the PPP's provincial government be successful in its designs and announced resisting the move and hold strong protests against the ongoing attempts to encroach the DG College's historic building.

Also read: Removal of encroachment ordered

He said that the Sindh Professors and Lectures Association, as well as the Students Action Committee of the college, have already expressed grave concerns over the situation and highlighted the wrongdoings on the part of the government.

The JI Karachi chief also highlighted that the college has a hostel with a capacity to accommodate 200 students. However, he continued, the college has been deprived of the hostel for ages.

He said that the college, established in 1887, has been serving for more than 130 years. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah himself is the alma mater of the college, along with a long list of dignitaries, ranging from nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, first CM of Sindh after the creation of Pakistan Sir Ghulam Hussain Hidayatullah, former president of Bangladesh Ziaur Rehman, nuclear scientist Dr Badarul Islam, and several others including NASA scientists, chiefs of army staff and prominent politicians.