‘Yours or ours’: even colleges divided on ethnic lines

The ethnic divisions etched in the city’s political culture are now spreading fear among the younger generation, as students seeking admission to government colleges are reluctant to get admitted to educational institutions located in the strongholds of ‘opponent’ ethnic groups, Pakistan Today has learnt.
After territorial divisions in the metropolis on basis of ethnicities and several violent incidents reported during the past few months, fear has gripped the minds of students.
With the students unwilling to go to colleges in ‘rival’ areas, the situation is likely to complicate matters for the working of Centralised Admission Policy (CAP) committee, which grants admissions to students in government colleges as per their preference and merit.
However, the CAP chairman – also Sindh Colleges Director General – has expressed helplessness over the concerns of students belonging to various ethnic groups.
Talking with Pakistan Today, CAP Chairman Nasir Ansar said that admissions to Class XI are given purely on merit and not on ethnic basis. “There is no provision in the policy for granting admission to students on ethnic basis and even the admission forms do not have any column that allows students to select colleges on ethnic lines.”
Ansar added that he had not received any complaint in this regard and any student wanting to take classes at a suitable college can be granted permission.
Speaking with Pakistan Today, former president of Pakhtun Students Federation (PkSF) Ismail Mehsud said that some government colleges in the metropolis have become ‘no-go areas’ for Pakhtun students.
“Pakhtun students avoid taking admissions [in college] in Urdu-speaking majority areas and even if they get admitted as per CAP criteria, their parents do not allow them to go to college.”
“Even if they [students] have to go to collect admit cards from colleges in sensitive locations, they are harassed. When [Pakhtun] candidates go to their exam centres in Urdu-speaking majority areas, they are tortured by criminal elements. Some students have even dropped their papers,” Mehsud alleged.
The former PkSF president complained that the Pakhtun students cannot even think of taking admissions in colleges in Liaquatabad, Nazimabad, New Karachi or Shah Faisal Colony [all Urdu-speaking strongholds].
“[Pakhtun] students were recently harassed at the Superior Government College in Shah Faisal Colony and the Jinnah Government College in Nazimabad,” he added.
Similar concerns were also expressed by All Pakistan Muttahida Students Organisation (APMSO) Central Information Secretary Ahsan.
He said that Urdu-speaking students avoid going to government colleges situated in Quaidabad, Landhi and particularly Lyari.
“The students write to the director general of colleges in Sindh to allow them to take classes in colleges in safer areas, but they have to face the consequences at centres during their examinations.”
He alleged that the Urdu-speaking students were thrashed at the Government National College during the recent ethnic violence.
Without naming any college, Ahsan claimed that criminal elements in Lyari harassed students belonging to different ethnic groups and students from every other linguistic group avoid taking admission at the college.
“Students affiliated with the APMSO cannot even think about getting admission in the Swedish Polytechnic College in Quaidabad and the Lyari Government Mono Technical College.”
The APMSO central information secretary was of the view that CAP allows students to take classes in safer areas but the situation at technical colleges is worsening with each passing day and urged the government to address the problems of students.