KARACHI: No varsity in private sector being closed: Ibad
KARACHI, Feb 1: Sindh Governor Ishratul Ibad on Wednesday claimed that no private-sector university in the province was being closed down but all the varsities had been given deadline according to federal cabinet’s decision to meet the required criteria by February 2007.
He was talking to the Board of Governors of S.M. Law College and vice-chancellors of Karachi University, NED and Shah Abdul Latif varsities, Khairpur who separately called on him at Governor’s House.
Dr Ibad said that the government was laying stress on ensuring quality of education and provision of better academic and research facilities to all public and private varsities and higher education institutes.
Stressing the need for conducive academic environment both in public and private universities for maintaining quality of education, he said that the public sector varsities had been provided with Rs3 billion each under a five-year plan on the directives of President Musharraf for academic, research and infrastructure improvement and other facilities.
Additional Secretary Maj (retd) Aftab Lodhi apprised the governor about details of monitoring visits of various universities of the province.
He asked Shah Abdul Latif University vice-chancellor Dr A.R. Malik to ensure quality of education and merit particularly in admissions and appointments in the varsity. He got apprised of the various programmes and overall performance of the university.
Dr Ibad talked with NED University vice-chancellor Abdul Kalam on matters pertaining to improving situation at Dawood College of Engineering and Technology.
He said that Dawood college had been a quality institute and the provincial government would leave no stone unturned to revive its past status.
In a separate meeting, the governor asked the Board of Governors of S.M. Law College to expedite process of upgrading the college as a law university. He said that the decision had been taken in principle and necessary procedures in this regard would be completed as early as possible.
Alternative routes: Sindh Governor Ishratul Ibad has ordered the officials concerned to ensure that alternative routes are provided to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre and the National Institute of Cardio-vascular Diseases within a month.
Presiding over a high-level meeting at Governor’s House on Tuesday night, he said that complaints about hurdles in way to these major hospitals must be addressed immediately. He said that through the alternative routes it should be ensured that the patients could reach these hospitals easily even during the VIP movement.
He said that the pace of work on construction of two roads to the JPMC from Aisha Bawani School and Naval Heights near Kala Pul should be accelerated and all encroachments in the way of both passages be removed at once. He expressed satisfaction over the drive of city government against hoardings and billboards.
DCO Fazalur Rehman briefed the meeting that various steps had already been taken to ensure smooth traffic flow on major roads of Saddar town
He said that I.I. Chundrigar Road would be closed for public traffic from Feb 15. He said that from Feb 16 only private vehicles would be allowed entry on this road and shuttle bus service would be run for employees.
Dr Ibad sought details of the bridge project to link the Super Highway, National Highway and Mehran Highway.
It was also decided the plot adjoining Sports Complex of the National Bank would be obtained to build a parking plaza. It also decided to erect barriers to ban entry of heavy vehicles on the Hawksbay Road.—PPI
