‘Sensitive issue’: KU refuses to let its auditorium host seminar on missing persons
Organiser, who is a faculty member, says seminar will take place at the scheduled time and venue
Organiser, who is a faculty member, says seminar will take place at the scheduled time and venue. PHOTO: EXPRESS
KARACHI:
The Karachi University (KU) has refused its faculty members from using the Arts faculty auditorium to host a seminar on the ‘Baloch Missing persons and the Role of State and Society’ scheduled for 11am Wednesday.
On April 30, the university registrar sent a letter to the organiser, Dr Riaz Ahmed, who is a faculty member of the department of applied chemistry. He conveyed the administration’s decision, saying that the ‘request cannot be acceded by the competent authority under the prevailing circumstances’. On Tuesday, another letter was sent to Dr Ahmed, reminding him that ‘organisation of seminars related to sensitive issues was not allowed in the university premises as per policy’.
For his part, Dr Ahmed told The Express Tribune that the seminar would in fact take place at the scheduled time and venue. “From what I can gather from my sources, none of the security agencies have asked to cancel the seminar,” he reasoned. “It is only the KU administration that is stopping us.”
Dr Ahmed claimed that he received the first refusal letter (of April 30) when he came into his office on Monday morning. “I can’t understand why they [KU administration] want to make such a big issue out of this educational seminar,” he said. “The pressure from ‘above’ is fiction, not fact.” He was of the belief that the KU vice-chancellor will do well to resign after three of their faculty members were killed in the last 10 months.
KU registrar Moazzam Ali Khan said the varsity, like every other institution, promoted freedom of speech. “However, keeping in mind the sensitive nature of the topic, we cannot allow such a programme to be held in the auditorium,” he said, adding that the seminar was neither sponsored by the varsity nor was it organised by the teachers’ body. He said the requisition to book the auditorium was submitted by a faculty member in his individual capacity.
The Karachi University (KU) has refused its faculty members from using the Arts faculty auditorium to host a seminar on the ‘Baloch Missing persons and the Role of State and Society’ scheduled for 11am Wednesday.
On April 30, the university registrar sent a letter to the organiser, Dr Riaz Ahmed, who is a faculty member of the department of applied chemistry. He conveyed the administration’s decision, saying that the ‘request cannot be acceded by the competent authority under the prevailing circumstances’. On Tuesday, another letter was sent to Dr Ahmed, reminding him that ‘organisation of seminars related to sensitive issues was not allowed in the university premises as per policy’.
For his part, Dr Ahmed told The Express Tribune that the seminar would in fact take place at the scheduled time and venue. “From what I can gather from my sources, none of the security agencies have asked to cancel the seminar,” he reasoned. “It is only the KU administration that is stopping us.”
Dr Ahmed claimed that he received the first refusal letter (of April 30) when he came into his office on Monday morning. “I can’t understand why they [KU administration] want to make such a big issue out of this educational seminar,” he said. “The pressure from ‘above’ is fiction, not fact.” He was of the belief that the KU vice-chancellor will do well to resign after three of their faculty members were killed in the last 10 months.
KU registrar Moazzam Ali Khan said the varsity, like every other institution, promoted freedom of speech. “However, keeping in mind the sensitive nature of the topic, we cannot allow such a programme to be held in the auditorium,” he said, adding that the seminar was neither sponsored by the varsity nor was it organised by the teachers’ body. He said the requisition to book the auditorium was submitted by a faculty member in his individual capacity.