09 November 2004	Tuesday	25 Ramazan 1425

KARACHI, Nov 8: After a gap of over a week, teaching activities at the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology resumed partially on Monday. The academic activities were suspended at the two campuses of the university following a clash between the All Pakistan Mohajir Students' Organization and the Pakhtoon Students' Federation on Oct 30 in Gulshan-i-Iqbal campus. Some of the activists were injured in the clash while one of them died later.

Since Nov 1, Rangers had been posted at the Gulshan-i-Iqbal campus, former Urdu Science College, but the university administration did not find it appropriate to open its campuses for students. They feared relapse of hostilities in its campuses, particularly in a situation when clashes between students organizations had become a perpetual affair in the educational institutions as well, said a source in the campus.

An official of the university said that teaching was resumed on the Abdul Haq campus, the former Urdu Arts College, and academic activities were being normalized there.

In the case of Gulshan-i-Iqbal campus, it was learnt that a few students had turned up for education in the morning, but the administration found their number insufficient to resume classes.

A source on the campus said that attendance of students as well as those of the teachers and non-teaching staff was also not up to the mark. Thus, the administration decided not to hold teaching for the day. Finally, students were asked to leave the premises and come again on Nov 10 saying that teaching would fully resumed on the Gulshan-i-Iqbal campus on Wednesday.

However, another source said that premises was vacated in view of the visit of Sindh Home Minister Rauf Siddiqui.

Later, the home minister visited the Gulshan-i-Iqbal campus and met Vice-Chancellor Dr Iqbal Mohsin and other officials of the university.

The meeting focussed on the deteriorated law and order situation in educational institutions of the city and considered ways and means for an environment conducive to education.

A source privy to the meeting said that the varsity administration had been told that Rangers would continue to stay on the Gulshan campus, provided they were not engaged in other assignments.

It was viewed at the meeting that in addition to its watch and ward staff, which was limited in size, the university administration could hire the services of private security agencies. The university administration has also been considering for deployment of 16 to 20 private security personnel, added the source.