KARACHI, April 10: Students’ organizations at a meeting on Monday agreed to keep the University of Karachi free of posters, banners, wall-chalking and other publicity materials in future.
The meeting was first of its kind held after a clash between the Islami Jamiat Talaba and the All Pakistan Mohajir Students Organization on Saturday, in which several activists from both side were injured due to stone pelting, use of sticks and rod or baton charging by the personnel of law enforcing agency.
The supporters and workers of the two organisations had fought against each others reportedly over placement of some posters on the campus.
The meeting of the representatives of different students’ bodies and some senior teachers was convened by the office of the students’ adviser of the KU. A set of decisions were signed by the student leaders of the IJT, APMSO, Peoples’ Students Federation (PSF) and Punjabi Students Association (PSA) and four teachers, under which a teachers-students council was formed and made functional immediately to ensure peace and harmony on the campus.
The council, comprising Dr Rafiq Alam and Dr Nasreen Aslam Shah as honorary members from the teachers’ side and Furqan Ansari and Nauman Hameed of the IJT, Mohammad Amanullah and Maqsood of the APMSO, Suhail Iqbal and Masood Alam of the PSF, Azhar Mirza of the PSA and Wiqar Hussain and Qasim Mohsin Abdi of the Imamia Students’ Organization, would meet from time to time and would also be taking measures for peaceful and befitting conduct of students’ week programmes in future.
The council in question would move in case of any emergent situation pertaining to law and order and differences among the students on the campus and settle disputes between students’ organisations.
Students’ group would not indulge in any confrontation directly, but would inform the council in case of any problem or reservations against any of the groups or their activities, said Dr Mohammad A Qadri, KU students’ adviser.
He said that an immediate ban had been placed on banners, posters and wall-chalking on the campus, while orders were also being passed on to remove slogans, posters and stickers at the earliest.
Dr Qadri said that any of the students’ organisation found involved in publicity campaigns or fixing posters, banners and stickers on walls would be held responsible for violation of the latest agreement. Under the agreement any of the organisations involved in breaching the code of conduct would be debarred from organising programmes on the campus at least for a semester.
Mr Qadri, who is also the head of the newly formed council, said that at least 11 teachers who were already performing as assistant students’ advisers would also be part of the teachers-students council.
He said that in later course of time some more representatives from other students’ organizations, if found viable, could be incorporated in the council.
