The Karachi University (KU) does not have high standards when it comes to security and the same was exposed with Governor Sindh Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan’s visit of the varsity on Friday night.
There was curfew-like situation in the varsity on his arrival. It seemed like it was not an academic institute, instead it seemed like a garrison, preparing for an oncoming attack. Governor Sindh, who was scheduled to reach at KU at 5:20pm, arrived at varsity at 8:00pm. The varsity was closed for every type of routine activities and the classes in the evening shift were suspended on arrival of the governor. A large number of students, who were unaware of governor’s arrival when reached the university, were stopped at its gates and informed that the varsity had suspended the evening shift classes because of the Chancellor’s arrival.
Just to put the things in perspective, the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) has one of its campuses within the jurisdiction of KU and the governor has visited it a number of times in this year alone. The varsity did not suspend academic activities then but the closure of the varsity for two hours before the arrival of Sindh governor has raised question on its security arrangements. Two of the varsity’s four gates were closed for every type of vehicular movement for security. Rangers and university’s own security personnel were roaming around in the varsity to avoid any untoward incident. The governor inaugurated the new buildings of administration block and department of public administration. He also laid stone of new Silver Jubilee Gate of the varsity. The governor left the varsity after one and half hour.
Talking to Pakistan Today, KU Vice Chancellor’s Advisor on Security Affairs Prof Dr Khalid Iraqi said that it was the decision of the varsity management that the classes of the evening shift would remain suspended. “Yes, the evening shift was closed because of security reasons but it was an administrative decision,” he said. To a question about security standards of the university, he said that if KU was such an insecure place for academic activities, then the varsity would also have suspended academic and routine activities in morning classes as well on the arrival of Sindh governor.
