University in Lyari on verge of collapse

Part of what distinguishes higher education from scholastic learning is the opportunity for students to engage with and learn from a variety of academics holding different levels of experience in their respective fields, who apart from teaching banal theories also offer auspicious career guidance however, when public institutions like the Benazir Bhutto Shaheed University start functioning without senior faculty, much of the student body is left deprived of the intellectual growth which accompanies learning in the apprenticeship of an associate professor.

Established over a decade ago in Karachi, the Benazir Bhutto Shaheed University Lyari (BBSUL) intended to promote higher education among the youth residing in suburban areas, by reserving a set quota of seats, 55 per cent to be precise for students from Lyari, Keamari, Gadap and Malir Town, 35 per cent for students from the rest of Sindh and 10 per cent for open merit.

Recently however, a report prepared by the Charter Inspection and Evaluation Committee after a thorough inspection of public universities in Sindh including BBSUL, revealed that the entire university was run by junior and part-time teaching faculty, while there was no dean, or permanent Vice Chancellor for maintaining the affairs of the university, which was severely short of fundamental academic facilities, like updated books, well-equipped laboratories, and adequate classrooms.

“How can one expect there to be any academic improvement in a university which has not had a Vice Chancellor since the past two years. There is no permanent Director of Finance, controller of examination, or even registrar. Furthermore, there are only four teachers with a doctoral degree as a result of which the university does not meet the required standards of the federal board in terms of faculty. Even though the departments of media science and Islamic studies were established in 2023, the respective faculty remains unavailable,” affirmed Chairman Sindh Higher Education Commission, Dr. Tariq Rafi.
Expanding on the problem, Faqir Muhammad Lakhu, a member of the Charter Inspection Committee, and Additional Secretary of College Education, revealed on the occasion that the student endowment fund given by the Sindh government to BBSUL was not used for the benefit of the students and the Senate meeting which is required for deciding the budget of the university was held way back in 2014.

“Moreover, several other departments have been established in the Department of Public Administration's building without prior permission, while the infrastructure of classrooms, laboratories and offices needs dire attention. The faculty offices too are in a very bad condition and the library books are obsolete and the digital archive inactive,” informed Lakhu.
It is worth mentioning that when the preceding Vice Chancellor of BBSUL, Dr Akhtar Baloch was forced to step down due to harassment allegations, the Vice Chancellor of Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Professor Amjad Siraj Memon was given the dual charge of the university.

In an attempt to gain greater insight into the crux of the matter, The Express Tribune contacted the Acting Head of BBSUL and Vice Chancellor of the Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Professor Amjad Siraj Memon, who was of the opinion that the university had been ruined by over empowerment.

“During a recent meeting of the Finance and Planning Committee, we learned that various types of allowances were being made at BBSUL alongside the usual salaries. “This resulted in a major financial burden on the university, as a result of which it could not afford to maintain its regular affairs, including the crediting of salaries and hiring of faculty. How can professors and associate professors be hired on tenure, when the university has no funds available for paying them? We have decided to meet the Chief Minister of Sindh on this matter and request him for a special grant. Till then lieutenant colonel (retd) Qaimuddin has been appointed as registrar to maintain the writ of law in the university.”