KU reopens after 2 days
Exams started after a delay of at least 10 days.
KARACHI:
The University of Karachi reopened on Thursday after two days and exams started after a delay of at least 10 days. The offices of the vice-chancellor and the pro vice-chancellor also reopened after a day’s shutdown.
Since the top three posts of security officials were vacant, the security situation is still unresolved. According to officials, the security department on campus is plagued by ad hocism.
After the resignation of the campus security adviser Professor Dr Khalid Iraqi, this post is vacant. The KU administration had decided to replace Iraqi by Naveed Siddiqui — who was known to have political leanings towards a student organisation affiliated with a political party — and issued a notification for the change. However, the notification sparked fresh protests on Tuesday as the student representatives of other political parties objected that this bias would adversely affect the campus.
After negotiations between the Students’ Alliance, a collective body of student organisations, the notification was withdrawn.
The senior security officer Zahid Maqsood was also transferred three days ago. Now his post is also vacant.
The KU syndicate dissolved the discretionary powers of the vice-chancellor and decided to suspend Maqsood. He was appointed by the vice-chancellor, using his discretionary powers. However, despite the syndicate’s decision, the suspension notification has yet to be issued.
Karachi University administration is seeking the help of an advisory council to deal with its security issues. The law and order situation on campus returned to normalcy on Thursday and no violence was reported.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 24th, 2010.
The University of Karachi reopened on Thursday after two days and exams started after a delay of at least 10 days. The offices of the vice-chancellor and the pro vice-chancellor also reopened after a day’s shutdown.
Since the top three posts of security officials were vacant, the security situation is still unresolved. According to officials, the security department on campus is plagued by ad hocism.
After the resignation of the campus security adviser Professor Dr Khalid Iraqi, this post is vacant. The KU administration had decided to replace Iraqi by Naveed Siddiqui — who was known to have political leanings towards a student organisation affiliated with a political party — and issued a notification for the change. However, the notification sparked fresh protests on Tuesday as the student representatives of other political parties objected that this bias would adversely affect the campus.
After negotiations between the Students’ Alliance, a collective body of student organisations, the notification was withdrawn.
The senior security officer Zahid Maqsood was also transferred three days ago. Now his post is also vacant.
The KU syndicate dissolved the discretionary powers of the vice-chancellor and decided to suspend Maqsood. He was appointed by the vice-chancellor, using his discretionary powers. However, despite the syndicate’s decision, the suspension notification has yet to be issued.
Karachi University administration is seeking the help of an advisory council to deal with its security issues. The law and order situation on campus returned to normalcy on Thursday and no violence was reported.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 24th, 2010.