On a rocky path: History of the criminology department at KU
First batch of 21 students passed out in 1998 with postgraduation degrees in criminology.
Prof. Dr Fateh Muhammad Burfat, who was appointed as sociology department chairperson in 2003, also became the fourth in charge of the criminology department. PHOTO: FILE
KARACHI:
The criminology department started in July, 1996 as the Institute for Applied Criminological Studies with approval of the former vice chancellor of the University of Karachi, Prof. Dr Abdul Wahab.
The institute, under the chair of the late Prof. Shamim Hashmi, a professor at the psychology department, continuously gave admissions for two years after the department was formed. The first batch of 21 students passed out in 1998 with postgraduation degrees in criminology.
After a break of two years, the programme was introduced again in 2000 under the auspices of sociology department. Prof. Dr Khalida Rehman headed it for around two years, followed by Dr Farhat Faridi for the next two years.
Prof. Dr Fateh Muhammad Burfat, who was appointed as sociology department chairperson in 2003, also became the fourth in charge of the criminology department.
Since then, more than 400 students have completed their Masters in criminology. Three students - Mohammad Altaf Tahir, Nabi Bux Narejo and Tahir Hameedullah - completed their PhD while five more are currently pursuing a doctorate in the discipline.
The department’s alumni includes several high-ranking names, such as former Sindh IGP Niaz Ahmed Siddiqui, former additional IG Investigation Zafar Ahmed Farooqi, Rapid Response Force DIG Sanaullah Abbasi, Sindh headquarters DIG Imran Yaqoob Minhas and a serving Brigadier in Pakistan army, Rana Zulfiqar Ahmed.
Narejo, a criminology graduate of 1998 who had to file the petition for his PhD, now heads the criminology department at University of Sindh, Jamshoro.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 30th, 2013.
The criminology department started in July, 1996 as the Institute for Applied Criminological Studies with approval of the former vice chancellor of the University of Karachi, Prof. Dr Abdul Wahab.
The institute, under the chair of the late Prof. Shamim Hashmi, a professor at the psychology department, continuously gave admissions for two years after the department was formed. The first batch of 21 students passed out in 1998 with postgraduation degrees in criminology.
After a break of two years, the programme was introduced again in 2000 under the auspices of sociology department. Prof. Dr Khalida Rehman headed it for around two years, followed by Dr Farhat Faridi for the next two years.
Prof. Dr Fateh Muhammad Burfat, who was appointed as sociology department chairperson in 2003, also became the fourth in charge of the criminology department.
Since then, more than 400 students have completed their Masters in criminology. Three students - Mohammad Altaf Tahir, Nabi Bux Narejo and Tahir Hameedullah - completed their PhD while five more are currently pursuing a doctorate in the discipline.
The department’s alumni includes several high-ranking names, such as former Sindh IGP Niaz Ahmed Siddiqui, former additional IG Investigation Zafar Ahmed Farooqi, Rapid Response Force DIG Sanaullah Abbasi, Sindh headquarters DIG Imran Yaqoob Minhas and a serving Brigadier in Pakistan army, Rana Zulfiqar Ahmed.
Narejo, a criminology graduate of 1998 who had to file the petition for his PhD, now heads the criminology department at University of Sindh, Jamshoro.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 30th, 2013.