The students of Karachi University face a curious case of gate passes. For those of us who come from far away places in our own vehicles, it is absolutely unfeasible to send their vehicles back home and call them later, given that each way takes at least 40 minutes. Hence, it is preferred that they be parked in the parking lots. At the gates, the guards conveniently stand right in front of our car, forbid us from entering and force us to turn back. Because no amount of proof is enough to convince them that we really are students there, and we are not going to cause any trouble whatsoever.
Technically, it’s not their fault. All kinds of miscreants shake up havoc, once they’ve already entered the university’s premises. However, it is unfair to blame the rest of the student population for the wrongs that a bunch of deviants commit. I am willing to provide the guards with all kinds of proof, be it my university ID, my NIC, my fees receipt, my admit card, but they just don’t listen. They tell us to have a gate pass made – they even outline the procedure to have one made.
Now when we go where they tell us to, there is a sign on the doors that says “gate passes will not be issued to students”, and upon enquiring, a gentleman promptly asks me how I got into university in the first place when I don’t even know how to read.
This kind of contradictory information is what baffles us students, forces us to face the million dollar question of whether the guards today will let us into the university or not, and leaves us at their mercy.
Hence, I ask of the influential media to please summon some sort of official document that states that they won’t issue gate passes to students, or if they will, then to rectify the gentlemen sitting inside the administration block and asking them to be nice enough to get to work on our gate passes.
TOOBA AKHTAR
Karachi