Author Topic: Partisan attitude of University of Karachi (KU) authorities led to cancellation  (Read 1225 times)

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'Partisan attitude of University of Karachi (KU) authorities led to cancellation of Students' Week'

Karachi: A majority of the students at the University of Karachi (KU) are disappointed and angry over the abrupt cancellation of Students' Week (from August 15 to August 20) by the KU administration. They said that the decision was 'unilateral and uncalled for' and was taken without informing the students.

Even senior professors at the university, who spoke to us, expressed surprise over the decision and asked why the interests of 22,000 students were completely ignored over the 'flimsy' excuse of 'tension' among two student organisations in the university.

Naila, a BS second year student from the Department of Applied Chemistry, who wished to be mentioned only by her first name, showed her dismay over what she termed 'the dictatorial approach' of the university authorities.

'The university has a teachers' society, officers association and non-teaching staff's associations but the students, the main stakeholders of the university have no representation," she said angrily. 'We are bored by the monotony of university life and we need some meaningful programmes to colour our drab schedule."

Tariq, an MA final year student in the Department of Economics, said: 'It seems that the university authorities, especially the Students' Adviser, have forgotten that they are teachers who, apart from teaching, are supposed to build the character of students. How could they do such things to us? It is simply non-comprehensible."

Dr Nusrat Idrees, the Student Adviser, was adamant that she, after consulting Dr Khalid Iraqi-the Campus Security Adviser and her team of Advisory Council- had decided to cancel the week to avoid a 'students clash' on campus.

'The Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba (IJT) and All-Pakistan Muttahida Students Organisation (APMSO) had announced different programmes that were controversial and I thought that it could lead to a clash between the two groups. I tried to persuade the two organisations to calm down and solve the problem (about the programmes) in an amicable manner. They did not. So, after consulting the Campus Security Adviser and others, I decided to cancel the remaining programmes to avoid the bloodshed."

Dr Khalid Iraqi explained that actually the APMSO had asked permission for a 'Peace Day' programme on August 19 but later they took a U-turn and wanted to celebrate it as 'White Day' - a birthday bash for Altaf Hussain. The IJT strongly reacted to this as last year's 'White Day' had resulted in the killing of four IJT activists who were travelling in a minibus near the university. They (IJT) announced that they will, in response to APMSO's action, dedicate the same day as 'Youm-e-Shuhdaa' (martyrs' day). "This was the bone of contention. Our priority is academic peace on campus. So we took the decision to cancel Student's Week," Dr Iraqi said.

The IJT, explaining their point of view, accused the Student Adviser of reneging on her own earlier decision not to allow any political programmes during Students' Week.

IJT KU Nazim Furqan Hussain Ansari, in his letter to the teachers of the university, explained that "the Student Adviser had already issued a code of conduct, in which it was made mandatory that no programmes will be allowed that had political overtones.

Observing the birthday of a political leader during the Students Week is preposterous. She ignored the advice of the Campus Security Adviser (Dr Khalid Iraqi) and the Advisory Council and allowed the APMSO to commemorate the day."

The letter accused the Students Adviser of showing her preference to the APMSO and cancelling Students' Week instead of 'White Day'. Ansari requested teachers to try to end the culture of political favouritism on campus in order to allow a peaceful and just environment in the university. The News
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