University of Karachi

By Prof. Dr. Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui

Vice Chancellor

Spread over 1200 acre of land, the University of Karachi was established through the parliament as a Federal University in 1951. However, through another act of the parliament in 1962 its status was redefined as university of the province of Sindh. On 23rd October, 1950 the Karachi University Act was passed and after an amendment in 1951 it was enacted and Prof A.B.A Haleem was appointed as its first Vice Chancellor. For the first two years, the University of Karachi remained as an examination University for the affiliated colleges. In the year 1953 it started its teaching and research activities at two Faculties of Arts and Science. Opened with an initial intake of 50 students, the university is now a sprawling structure of 53 Departments and 20 world class and highly reputable Research Centers and Institutes, under eight faculties of Arts, science Islamic Studies Pharmacy Commerce & Business Administration, Law, Education and Medicine. At present the enrolment of a regular student at the Campus is slightly over 24,000. There are about 700 teachers and more than 2500 supporting staff.


The University in the beginning was housed in small buildings was housed in small buildings adjacent to the Civil Hospital. Meanwhile, due to rapid expansion, it began to be felt that the space in which the university was functioning was not enough for its needs.


Moreover the atmosphere of the congested and polluted area was not conducive to higher education and research. Thus a plot a of a1279 acres of land was acquired on the Country Club Road (now University Road). On 18th January 1960 the university was shifted to the new campus. Thus began a new phase in the life of the university. The day is still commemorated by various old students’ Association and the University administration jointly.


Karachi University always proudly mentions the names of renowned educationists and scholars associated with this institution of higher learning like, Dr. I. H. Qureshi, Dr. Mahmud Hussain, Dr. Salemuzzaman Siddiqui, Dr. Afzal Hussain Qadri, Dr. M. M. Ahmed , Dr Mujtaba Karim, Prof. M. Ilyas, Prof. Q. Fareed, Dr. Ibadur Rehman Khan, Prof Muntakhib ul Haq, Prof. Memony, Dr. S. M. Yousuf, Dr. M.A Wali, Dr. Karawala. The faculty was drawn not only from Pakistan but also included eminent educationists form Europe and America.

Karachi University today

The Karachi University today is the biggest university of in the country. It comprises eight faculties with which all the colleges of the city are affiliated B.S, M.S, M.Phil and Ph.D classes under five of these faculties Arts, Science, Pharmacy, Commerce and Islamic Learning are conducted on the campus, while under the Faculties of Medicine, law and Education it examines the students admitted to their affiliated colleges. Research programmers leading to M.Phil and Ph.D Degree are offered under all the faculties.

Science

The Science Faculty which consists of 23 departments and five research Institutes can be said to be the biggest scientific centre in the country. The Research Institutes include the HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry, which is world renowned and has also been designated World Academy of Science. It is the prime research institutes of the country and has high level research faculties for chemical science particularly Natural Product Chemistry.

Other Institutes are Dr. Punjwani Centre for Molecular Medicines and Drug Research, Khan Institutes if Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Dr Afzal Hussain Qadri Biological Research Centre, which is a common research facility for all the biological science departments; the Marine Resources Collection and Research Centre, which is the biggest repository of marine life from the Arabian Sea. National Nematological Research Centre, which undertakes research in plant pest control. Centre of Excellence in Marine Biology, a federally founded centre for the study of marine fauna of the Arabian Sea; the Institute of Environmental Studies, Institute of Molecular Genetics and Umair Basha Institute of Information Technology which is going to become operational after up gradation of the present department of Computer Science.


It is noteworthy that the number of M.Phil/Ph.D in science produced by the Karachi University far exceeds the number produced in any other university of the country. So far, about 600 M.Phil, 300 Ph.D, 7 D.Sc and 7 D.Litt. degrees in Science have been awarded by the university. The University teachers are also involved in various research projects and contribute regularly to publications of home and abroad. Only in 2006 the number of published research papers by the reaching and research faculty of the university is 506.


Library
The library of the university is one of the largest libraries in the country. Housed in spacious building, it has a collection of 360,000 books, and 110,000 copies of national and foreign journals and periodicals.

There is also a microfilm section which has copies of rare manuscripts from the British museum, the India Office Library and the Bodleian and Cambridge University libraries.

A highlight of the library is the Quaid-i-Azam’s personal collection of books, many of which carry his own signature. Copies of the All India Muslim League papers are also available. Work is in progress for setting up a resource centre, equipped with internet and scanner microfiche. Now the Central Library is being gradually digitalized and will be able to cater the larger number of students. The LEJ National Science Centre is the most significant addition to the Karachi University which is a recent development.

The centre not only houses one of the largest digital one libraries of the mechanism and capacity to assist other campus library by resources and provide leadership in the application of technology to help the researchers, scientists, scholars and students of academic and R&D institutions of Pakistan Facilities of video conferencing are available and fully operative. Beside the central library, every department also has its own seminar library equipped with the necessary books.

Evening Program

The University of Karachi introduced the Evening program in 195 to provide an opportunity to the in service peoples and professionals to pursue higher education in the evening initially at a few departments The program started while gradually the number of departments offering degree courses in the evening has increased.
Four Year Degree Program: The latest development this year is the introduction of four year degree program at the University to bring the university education at par with the International standards. In the revised curricula of four years program a number of new subject have been added to enable the passed out students to have wider opportunities in the job market.

New Era of Development

The University of Karachi witnessed a new era of speedy developments in all spheres when Dr. Ishrat Ul Ebad Khan took over as Governor of Sindh and Chancellor of the universities in the province. His deep personal interest and commitments in the university affairs is an ongoing source of continued interest in academic, research and managements activates at the intellectual growth at the campus.

The University has now embraced upon a gigantic process of multifaceted progress with emphasis on capacity building and quality enchantment. Ever since its inception, it is in this era that constitutional and statutory bodies of the university are holding their meeting with regular intervals, further bolstering the process.

Regular holding of Selection Boards has enabled the University to add more than two hundred new teachers to various faculties and departments in 2006 07. Many departments in faculties of science and Arts where strengthened by modernizing facilities recently to enhance their quality and productivity.

These include Departments of Physics, Chemistry, Statistics Food Science and Technology, Biotechnology, Computer Science and Mass Communications. For common facilities for science in various scientific disciplines a centralized science lab has been established. It has further enhanced the capabilities for scientific research. Some noteworthy developments which serve as land marks in the university include a highly sophisticated and well equipped Herbarium for research in plant science.

Already completed Botanical Garden is first of its kind in the country. The Garden adds plenty of beauty to the campus on the one hand while on the other it serves as an open lab for the Plant scientists.

Construction of hostels for the visiting faculty and research scholars and additional facilities for M.Phil/Ph.D scholars, have further enhanced chances for quality and speedy research. The perennial residential problems at the campus is also expected to solve partially with the completion of new blocks of the staff apartments.

All these and many other successes were due to active encouragements the university received from the Higher Education Commission and the Chancellor of the University.

A number of new developments projects are on the anvil while many others are at various stages of completion. The University is now moving fast on the path of developments playing its due role in the national development.

Imambargah’s caretaker shot dead in Orangi

A 47-year-old caretaker of an Imambargah was gunned down on Wednesday near his house in Raees Amrohvi Colony, a locality in Section 11½ of Orangi Town.

The Iqbal Market police said that the victim, Imran Ali Bangash, son of Akbar Ali Bangash, was shot dead by two attackers on as many motorcycles at around 11.15am near Riaz More.

They said that the victim, the father of four, was the caretaker of Salman Farsi Imambargah in the locality and worked as a watchman at a chemical factory in Site.

The police said that the victim was going to buy medicines for his ailing wife when he was ambushed.

Tension and panic gripped the locality as enraged people burnt old tyres on the streets and pelted vehicular traffic with stones in protest over the targeted killing.

However, a heavy contingent of police and Rangers rushed to the troubled parts of Orangi Town and brought the situation under control.

Later, the body was shifted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where sources in the medico-legal section told Dawn that the victim was hit by seven bullets. They said that the victim was also shot to his head from a very close range and the wound proved fatal.

The police registered a case (FIR 226/2009) against unidentified assailants under Sections 302 (premeditated murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code on the complaint of the victim’s brother, Habib.

The police said that they secured five spent bullet casings of a TT pistol from the crime-scene.

Young man shot dead

A 21-year-old man was shot dead and his friend wounded by unidentified attackers near Mateen Complex on the National Highway in the jurisdiction of the Shah Latif police station.

The body and the wounded man were shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre where the deceased and the injured victim were identified as Abdur Rehman, son of Mohammed Jamal, and Shahid Ali, son of Haider Ali, respectively.

Sources at the hospital’s medico-legal section told Dawn that Rehman was hit by three bullets, one each in the chest, head and right ankle. They said that the wounded man was hit by a bullet in the abdomen and was still in a precarious condition.

The police said that both the victims were residents of Ammar Yasir Colony, a locality near Jinnah Square in Malir Colony.

The deceased’s brother, Nauman, told police that Shahid, a worker at a garment factory in Malir Colony, was the friend of his brother who was jobless.

He said that Shahid had arranged a job for his brother in his factory and he took Rehman from their house at around 9am to the factory.

However, the victim’s brother said, the two friends did not reach the factory and later the family was informed of the incident.

Quoting the deceased’s brother, the police said that the young man was not associated with any political or religious party. However, the police said that the wounded man was a supporter of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.

They said that no case was registered till late as the victim’s family was busy in funeral

Karachi University produced 1,240 PhDs in 42 years

Vice Chancellor Karachi University (KU), Prof Dr Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui, has said that the KU has produced 1,240 PhDs so far since its inception and on the top among the other varsities of the country in this regard.
“However, 49 public and private universities have produced more than 5,665 PhDs in the country, while KU is on the top among them, he said, while giving an interview to The Nation last week.
Dr. Pirzada pointed out that University of Punjab had awarded 1,266 PhD degrees since 1937, while the Karachi University produced 1,240 PhD scholars since 1957. This figure can help people to measure the standard and excellence of the largest institution (KU) of the country.
The varsity’s research and other academic activities are the real proof of its superiority over other educational institutions in Pakistan, he said.
“KU is trying to promote further research activities; the set-up of 17 research institutes/centres at the KU is the clear instance. Karachi University has produced about 600 MPhil, 300 PhD, 7 DSc and 7 DLit degrees only in science faculty that exceeds the number produced in any other university of the country. Our teachers are also involved in various research projects and contribute regularly to local and foreign publications.
Only in 2006, the number of published research papers by the KU teaching and research faculty was 506. The creation of the Institute of Sustainable Halophyte Utilisation at KU is another example of the varsity’s stance to encourage research education at higher level.

Qaim Ali Shah orders survey of dilapidated buildings

In the wake of collapse of a building in Karachi's Mithadar area on Friday night, the Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, has ordered a survey of all the dilapidated buildings in the metropolis.
In a statement here on Friday night, the Chief Minister directed the concerned officials to conduct a survey of the dilapidated buildings in Karachi.
He further instructed that steps be undertaken in this connection on priority basis so that no such incident could recur in future.

Default by members of KSE: Names placed on ECL after two members flee country

Though it was a bit late to act, government finally has placed the names of five suspended members of Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) on Exit Control List (ECL).

Ministry of Interior placed these suspended members on ECL on the recommendation of Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), sources told on Thursday.

However, the action taken by the government with regard to these suspended members was of little use as two of these members have already flown out of the country; one reportedly in Europe and other in Singapore.

Though sources in SECP termed the placement of the names of suspended members on ECL to safeguard the interests of investors whose hard-earned money is at risk due to inability of these members to pay-off their liabilities, market participants said that apex regulator acted late and it should have taken this step once the membership of these brokers was suspended on June 30, 2009.

SECP took the action after failure of these members to give a specific timeframe to clear their liabilities and any concrete action plan to for the resolution of outstanding investors’ claims. Upon which, by using the regulatory powers, apex regulator issued orders for the suspension of registration of the said brokers. The suspended securities are Eastern Securities, Prudential Securities, Capital One Securities, MKA Securities and Click Securities. The owners of two brokerage firms that owed the majority of default amount are out of the country now.

Although, the working is underway to calculate the exact amount of defaulted amount of these companies, the varying estimates put the amount around Rs 1.5 billion with the Rs 630 million defaulted amount owed by those two firms whose owners left the country.

The default committee of KSE has given August 12, 2009 as the final deadline to these suspended brokerage houses to pay off the defaulted amount, otherwise their cards would be auctioned.

At the time of suspension of their membership SECP declared that the registration of the above-mentioned brokerage houses would remain suspended, in the public interest and for the protection of investors and to preserve capital market integrity, till claims against them in light of the investors complaints are ascertained and settled.

According to a director of KSE, these suspended members should not only be put on ECL but also should be blacklisted because they have breached the confidence of investors. He was critical of the way SECP handled the issue and said that action should have been taken since the launch of the inquiry against these members.

CANADIAN COUNCILOR CALLS ON CITY NAZIM

The Councilor of Canadian High Commission’s Commercial & Economic Affairs Marilyn MacLean Denton along with Canadian Trade Commissioner Ather Moeen Khan called on City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal at his office and discussed matters of mutual interest besides the development in Karachi.

Nazim Karachi Syed Mustafa Kamal on this apprised the Canadian Councilor about the development works that have been performed by city government during last four years in Karachi.

He said that besides an important international city, Karachi is also the gateway for Central Asian Republics and Afghanistan. Considering this we had initiated a comprehensive infrastructure uplift process in this city during which lot of mega projects were completed in very short time.

City Nazim said that in order to provide best and unique facilities to citizens in Karachi, we have used latest and most modern technology in every sector. The complaints and information management system 1339 has given great convenience to citizens to register their daily complaints through an effective way. He said that the city government has also introduced a central command and control system in the city which will be implemented gradually.
Nazim Karachi also informed the delegation about the development works performed by city government in various sectors including water and sewerage, road infrastructure, health, education and recreation.

He said that the development works have been done by city government in each and every area of the city and comparing past the citizens have much better facilities in their daily life today.
The Canadian Councilor during the meeting praised the performance of City Government Karachi and congratulated Nazim Karachi on the completion of mega projects in least time.

Plan chalked out to rescue Karachi

The government, after due consultations and threadbare discussion with all stakeholders ranging from the gas and oil companies to power generating utilities, has succeeded in chalking out a plan aimed at eliminating loadshedding in Karachi by December next.
This announcement was made at a join media briefing conducted by Federal Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Federal Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira and Federal Minister for Privatisation Naveed Qamar at the Governor House on Wednesday.
Pervaiz Ashraf announced that Pakistan State Oil (PSO) had been advised to provide non-stop supply of oil on 90 days credit to all the power generating units, and the Sui Southern Gas Pipelines Limited (SSGPL) will also be giving uninterrupted supply of 276 mmcft gas, which would help to generate 100 to 150 Megawatt additional electricity in the system.
Moreover, Wapda will continue to supply 650 megawatt of power to KESC despite the prevailing crisis in the country, he added.
The five-member Cabinet Committee on Energy Crisis comprising of the above mentioned ministers besides Federal Labour Minister Syed Khursheed Shah and Federal Minister for Overseas Dr Farooq Sattar met at the Governor House and discussed in the power crisis faced by Karachi, the economic and commercial hub of the country.
Sindh Governor Dr Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan and Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah also attended the meeting.
The cabinet committee, which summoned the KESC administration, identified three major areas - generation, transmission and distribution - to improve the performance of the power utility.
It was decided that committee would meet again on coming Wednesday.
Meanwhile, it has summoned the owners of KESC to brief them about the financial management of the company.
Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said all these measures would help KESC generate 1750 megawatt non-stop electricity, while Raja Pervaiz Ashraf directed the Pepco to continue to supply of 650 megawatt power to KESC.
Kaira said the CEOs of two IPPs were present in the Governor House to sign an agreement with KESC that will add 80-megawatt power in the system of utility in August. He said due to this addition, people of Karachi would also get 3 MGD more water.
He said 60 years old worn-out distribution network of KESC needed revamping with a view to reducing line losses. As a role model, the utility has been given the task to completely overhaul the distribution and transmission in three towns-Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulberg and Shah Faisal town by the end of August. Sindh government will provide full assistance to achieve the target in these three model towns.

Acid-injected mother wants perpetrator’s arrest

Shagufta, a twenty-four year mother of three innocent boys, wants the person who injected acid into her body after physically molesting her arrested immediately. Recuperating at Burn Centre Karachi, where she has undergone three painful surgeries, Shagufta was lured by the landlord Sahebzada Swati who after molesting her injected acid into her private parts and dumped her at the doorsteps of her house just a short distance away from his own.
Shagufta insisted that accused Sahebzada be arrested immediately talking to head of Madadgar Helpline, Pakistan’s first referral centre for Child and Women victims of violence, Zia Ahmed Awan Advocate and Field Officer Bushra at Burn Centre Karachi. Shagufta, who was transferred from Crisis Centre Hyderabad to Burn Centre Karachi eleven days ago on the instruction of provincial minister for Human Rights Tauqeer Fatima Bhutto is recuperating from three surgeries necessary to save her life. For the time being nothing matters more to Shagufta than the arrest of accused Sahebzada Swati, However, who has not yet been arrested despite the lodging of FIR No. 62/09 at Tando Yusuf Police Station, Hyderabad.
Zia Awan Adv expressing grave concerns at the rising incidents of burns to women throughout the country stressed on the need for maximum sentences prescribed under the law as the only effective deterrence. He also stressed on the need not only on the rehabilitation of the victims and their families but also on measures to bring heinous crimes against women to an end. He demanded registering case against accused Sahebzada under Anti-Terrorism Act and trying him at Anti Terrorist Court.
Statistics of heinous crimes against women paint an ugly picture. So far this year a 103 cases of women suffering severe burns have been reported while the total number of women-burn cases reported since 2001 adds up to 2,125. Of these 2,125 reported cases; Adv Zia says that majority of such cases never get reported in the country, 1,030 happened in Punjab; 903 in Sindh; 159 in NWFP and 33 in Balochistan. Of the 2,125 women reported severely burned 1,255 were married while 870 were unmarried.
According to details Shagufta’s husband Zulfiqar, a laborer, lived on rent in the house of the accused who from the very beginning had roving eyes and bad intentions about her. Zulfiqar left the house and rented another premises nearly in Hyderabad after he came to know about the immoral activities of the accused. However, on the 12th of this month the accused lured Shagufta into his office on the pretext of cleaning his house but instead not only physically molested her but also injected acid into her body and later dumped her unconscious at the door step of her house.
Zulfiqar, Shagufta’s husband, claims that police is protecting the accused which is evident from the fact that SHO and Liaquat, a policeman of Tando Yusuf PS warned the accused on phone that “the media knows about the case” thereby warning him to flee. According to Zulfiqar police is providing protection to the influential accused who sells narcotics, occupies Railway quarters as well as a land grabber who has built half dozen houses on Hindus’ graveyard. (NC Report)

Karachi Nazim files petition against CM orders

City Nazim Mustafa Kamal has filed a constitutional petition in Sindh High Court (SHC) against orders of Sindh Chief Minister of slashing powers and not letting him to do work.

Nazim in his petition says the orders have been passed without legal formalities and he is not allowed to do work.

Governor, City Nazim inaugurate CNG Bus Project

Governor of Sindh Dr. Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan and City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal yesterday inaugurated the CNG Bus Pilot Project at Surjani Town. The Governor inspected the CNG Bus Terminal and also traveled through a CNG bus on this occasion.
Earlier addressing the inaugural ceremony Governor of Sindh Dr. Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan congratulated the citizens of Karachi for getting another gift in the form of CNG buses. He also paid tribute to City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal under whose leadership the city government could perform such a marvelous work during the last four years.
He said that the City Nazim Mustafa Kamal has through his services proved that he is a true leader who has served the citizens with great fervor and spirit. Today, he has achieved another goal of providing the citizens with respectable and comfortable means of transport in shape of dedicated CNG buses.
The governor added that the city is most important part of the country while the City Nazim has ensured with his utmost dedication that the city must keep the wheels moving.
In his address, Nazim Karachi Syed Mustafa Kamal appealed to the President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari and the Prime Minister of Pakistan Yusuf Raza Gilani to help stop the bureaucracy at the federal and provincial level from creating impediments ahead of city’s development projects.
Kamal said further that hundreds of studies have been done so far but still the city is lacking its Mass Transit Program due to obstacles that the corrupt bureaucracy had always created.
Similarly, certain other viable public projects such as Bus Rapid System, Light Rail System and Circular Railway are still in pending.
He said that the CNG bus project is totally funded by City Government. Without taking even a single penny for the project from the federal or provincial government, we have spent Rs 250million on purchasing of these dedicated CNG buses while we have also allocated funds for purchase of another fleet of 100 buses in next budget, Nazim added.
Nazim Karachi said that in past diesel buses were introduced in Karachi by the name of CNG buses while we have completed all homework before starting the CNG bus operation. All required infrastructure was provided to these buses so that the project could be run smoothly and without any hurdle. He said.
Nazim Karachi said that it is hard for a city government to undertake a huge project like mass transit system. In all over the world the MST was done by the federal governments.
He however called it unfortunate that the city of Karachi despite of all the studies still deprived by the Mass Transit Facility.
He said that Karachi is the key city of Pakistan. It provides livelihood to labors from all over the country. We will continue development process in the city, he added.
The pilot project contains 50 dedicated CNG buses that would be plying on two routes initially. Two different manufacturers with 25 buses each have manufactured these CNG buses locally. The CDGK has already paid full cost of these 50 buses.
The purpose of plying dedicated CNG buses is to ensure most modern urbanized system of transport with complete self-esteem of the commuters. In this regard, the CDGK has already put to operate the e-ticketing facility, as there would be no bus conductor. The passengers should buy under self-service traveling coupons from e-ticket booths established at different locations on the prescribed routes. Provincial ministers, MNA, MPA, Town Nazims, DCO Karachi and other dignitaries were also present. (NC Report)