KARACHI: No academic activities in colleges, university: Protests at campus situation
By Mukhtar Alam
KARACHI, Sept 9: Academic activities remained suspended in most of the city colleges and the University of Karachi on Monday in protest against rangers action on Saturday which resulted in injuries to teachers and students.
To avoid a further conflict, the KU administration had announced suspension of classes for two days, while research activities were undertaken as usual, claimed an official.
Campus wore a deserted look on Monday as no routine movement of students was witnessed.
However, students who were denied entry to the campus, managed to stage rallies outside the university’s main gate and some students from the neighbouring engineering university also attended these rallies.
In NED University of Engineering and Technology, it was learnt that attendance was thin, while a group of enraged students tried to disrupt the shuttle service of the university by deflating tyres of some buses.
A black day was observed in many city colleges on the request of the Sindh Professors and Lecturers’ Association. Black flags were hoisted in colleges and students and teachers wore black arm-bands and held meetings to condemn the Saturday’s action on students and teachers.
As per SPLA announcement, teaching activity remained suspended in a majority of the colleges.
Classes were also suspended in DMC and SMC as students boycotted classes after a couple of hours. The students were angry over the manhandling of teachers and students on the campus.
In its meetings, the SPLA leaders in different colleges demanded immediate removal of the VC, and demanded action against rangers personnel responsible for beating up teachers and students.
They also demanded withdrawal of the task force report on higher education.
The SPLA claimed that the black day was observed in almost all the colleges in the province.
It also announced that it would devise a future line of action to express solidarity with teachers and students of KU and, if the demands of teachers and students were not met within next 72 hours, a sit-in would be staged in front of Governor’s House, said a press release.
A sit-in was staged by students in front of the main gate of Karachi University. The students were holding placards and banners inscribed with the demand for removal of VC and arrest of Khalid Jamai, a deputy registrar. They also criticized the rangers for beating teachers and students.
In the morning, the rangers who had been deployed at the gates of the Karachi University, stopped students from entering the varsity. Some of the teachers were refused entry into the varsity, and they finally stayed with the protesting students on University Road.
In the meantime, the protesting college and university students and teachers demanded of the Sindh governor to take notice of the irresponsible actions by the university administration and rangers deployed there. They also said that if their points of view were not accommodated, students would indulge in agitation and the responsibility would rest with the university administration.
The Students Alliance of University of Karachi has announced that a protest demonstration would be held at Karachi press Club at 3 pm on Tuesday.
