Ethnic violence in the city is likely to sabotage the working of Centralized Admission Policy (CAP), the authority that grants admission to students in government colleges of the city, as the students of various ethnic groups are not ready to go to colleges situated in the areas of opponent groups, it has been learnt reliably.
The situation aroused after territorial divisions in the metropolis on the basis of ethnicity. Teenagers have fear in their minds after a couple of violent incidents happened in parts of city during the last few months. However, the Sindh director general (DG) colleges is saying sorry to the students willing to get admissions in public sector colleges of the city and has shown his helplessness over concerns of students of various ethnic groups.
Talking to Pakistan Today, ex-Pakhtun Students Federation (PkSF) President Ismail Mehsud said that some of the government colleges in the metropolis have become no-go areas for Pakhtun students. “The Pakhtun students avoid taking admissions in colleges situated in Urdu-speaking majority areas and if they get admissions as per criteria of CAP, their parents do not allow them to go college,” he added.
“If they get admissions in sensitive areas, they have to approach the DG colleges for getting admission to attend classes in safer areas, but they have to go to collect admission cards in sensitive colleges where they are harassed,” he maintained. “When the fearful candidates go to centres in Urdu-speaking areas for exam, they are tortured by criminal elements and some students have also to their papers,” he alleged. “The Pakhtun students can not even think to take admission in Urdu-speaking majority areas like Liaquatabad, Nazimabad, New Karachi and the Shah Faisal Colony,” he said.
A local leader of All Pakistan Muttaheda Students Organization (APMSO) has also expressed similar concerns. He said Urdu-speaking students also avoid going to government colleges in Quaidabad, Landhi and particularly Lyari. “The students then write to DG colleges Sindh to allow them to take classes in safer colleges, but they have to face consequences at centres during exam,” he maintained.
He said the Urdu-speaking students were beaten-up in Government National Colleges during ethnic violence during last annual exams. “Without naming any college, he said criminal elements in Lyari harassed students of different ethnic group who avoid taking admission in colleges of Lyari,” he blamed.
However, CAP policy allow fearful students to take classes in safer areas, but the situation of technical colleges is getting worse with each passing day, he said, adding that students who belong to APMSO can not think to get admission in Swedish Polytechnic College in Quaidabad and Lyari Government Mono Technical College.” “The government should address problems of students,” he urged.
DG Colleges and CAP Chairman Nasir Ansar said the admissions in class XI are given as per CAP policy purely on merit basis but not on ethnic basis. He said there was no such provision in policy to grant admissions to students on ethnic basis and there was no column in admission forms allowing students to select colleges on ethnic basis.
“I have not received any complaint in this regard and if any student approaches me for permission to take classes in suitable colleges, I grant him permission,” he assured.
BIEK Chairman Anwar Ahmed Zai said the territorial division of the city on ethnic or linguistic basis was creating problems for a common man. Over the last few years, a number of areas have been declared no-go areas for people different ethnic groups, he said, adding this territorial division also affected education sector. “This is a fact that many a large number of students can not attend classes due to this issue which affects their annual results,” he observed. Besides, there are number of students who do not prefer to attend regular classes due to life threats and they go to coaching centres for tuition to pass annual exams and this is the only reason that many colleges turn into ghost educational centres.
The seeds of hatred have been sown by MQM.
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