After being cooped up in a meeting room for hours, the University of Karachi administration and security officials decided to hand over the responsibility of maintaining law and order at the campus over to the Rangers.
The issue came up after a teacher was attacked on Thursday. A press release issued by the media office on Saturday said that entry into the university would be restricted to students with identity cards while their cars would not be allowed on campus. The Rangers now have the authority to check the cars of any visitors they find suspicious.
While this feels like a case of déjà vu - the administration seems to take the same step every time an incident occurs - a teacher speaking on the condition of anonymity claimed that the university has started speaking to the authorities. While talking to The Express Tribune, the teacher said that there had been two major changes. “Firstly, the new commander of the Rangers on campus, Col. Ehtisham, joined us a month ago. He has just finished his training and is ready to tackle troublemakers,” he said. “In addition to this, Muttahida Qaumi Movement MPA Muzammil Qureshi has given the university the authority to take action against students who create trouble.” He claimed that Qureshi had said if any members of the MQM’s student wing were making trouble, then the university could punish them.
The teacher said that the administration was being pressurised even before the incident on Thursday appeared in the media. “We were receiving calls from MPAs and MNAs to release the student,” he said. “Our main problem is the lack of security. At present there are only 130 security guards.” He said that because of the shortage of security staff, one guard had to oversee three to four departments. The teacher said that these guards were also unarmed.
From now on, as part of the security measures, separate parking will be allocated for each department where nobody else will be allowed. A ground outside IBA has been cleared for vehicles and another ground near staff colony is being cleared for departments that are close by.
Dr Mansoor Ahmed, acting registrar said that it has been after a long time the university has truly heightened the security for all and no concessions will be given to anyone.
The meeting of the administration was headed by the vice chancellor, Prof. Dr Pirzada Qasim. They placed extreme importance on the matter of security and decided that despite financial crisis, the administration will work to provide complete security to all faculty members of the university. The meeting was also attended by Dr Mansoor Ahmed, student advisor Dr Ansar Rizvi, Col. Ehtisham and senior security officer, Iftikhar Alam.
The press release said that an investigation report about the two students who misbehaved with the teacher has been submitted to the office of the vice chancellor. The report said that if the students are identified, their admission will be cancelled and their educational record will be sealed.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 6th, 2011.
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