KARACHI, March 21: The Nazim Karachi, Naimatullah Khan, has said he will urge the Sindh government to pay cash compensation to the families of the two college girls and a young man who were run over by a bus in Karimabad on Tuesday.

He was speaking to students and teachers of APWA Government College for Women on Thursday. He assured the students that he and the Town Nazim concerned would take immediate steps to solve their problems. The city Nazim was accompanied by the Nazim of Gulberg Town, Farooq Naimatullah, in his visit to the college.

On Wednesday students had announced that they would stage a demonstration outside the office of the city Nazim on Thursday to protest against the indifference of the Sindh and city governments as well as police to the menace of reckless driving in the city.

While the city Nazim and the Town Nazim were busy at a meeting with the College Principal, Prof Farzana Yasmeen Butt, and senior teachers of the College, hundreds of students, who were ready to leave for their planned demonstration, raised slogans against the government and police outside the principal’s office.

The students, who were joined in the protest by academic and non-academic staff, were holding placards, demanding immediate and stern action against the transporter and the driver responsible for the accident. The students accused police of sheltering the culprits and delaying action against the errant driver.

Speaking to the students, the city Nazim said he understood their sentiments and of the family members of those who died in the accident. He visited the homes of the affected families and attended the funeral prayers of the dead.

“You trust me and give me a patient hearing as I have not come here to make any political statement, but to share your grief and ensure security to the students of the college. I as the city Nazim assure you to provide security to you and other citizens of the city, but you will have to give me some more time as I have inherited a number of problems from the past,” he said.

He told them that works pertaining to the installation of traffic signals, improvement of roads in the vicinity of the College, provision of zebra- crossings, construction of a proper bus stand, raising the height of the boundary walls of the College, removal of garbage bins and improvement of electric lights in the College grounds, would begin within 72 hours.

Referring to the students’ complaint that inter-city bus stands set up illegally in the vicinity of the College were a public nuisance and causing traffic muddle in the area, the city Nazim said all such bus stands in the area had ceased to function.

“If you see any such bus stand in the area, please inform me directly so that I can take necessary action again in this regard,” he added.

About the demand for payment of compensation to the heirs of the dead and injured, he said though this was beyond his jurisdiction, he would write to the Sindh government soon in this connection.

He said the negligent policemen would not be spared. Those policemen who had been deputed either in mobiles or been on duty at the nearby kiosk or reporting centre would be suspended without delay, he said, adding a police picket would also be set up near the College gate.

Later, at a meeting with city police chief Asad Jehangir, DIG (Operations) Tariq Jamil and DIG Traffic Saud Mirza, the city Nazim, the Nazim of Gulberg Town and the College principal discussed measures for improving traffic and law and order in the vicinity of the College.

The Town Nazim expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of the policemen at the scene of the accident and demanded of the city police chief to order immediate suspension of the policemen, including one high official of the area. Others at the meeting also told the city police chief that, instead of ensuring a strong prosecution and action against reckless driving, some police officials had issued statements that tended to protect the errant driver as their pronouncements created an impression that the driver involved in the accident was not much at fault.

Talking to this reporter, the city police chief said police were not lenient with the culprits. I assure people that no attempt was being made to cover up the incident, he added.