KARACHI, Sept 19: Uncertainty and fear continued to grip Karachi University on Wednesday as its classrooms remained deserted six days after the tragic killing of seven persons, including four KU students, in a mini-bus attack near the campus.
The management said the university was ‘officially’ open, yet it made little effort to avert more unofficial suspensions of academic activities.
“We cannot afford any confrontation and it must be remembered that the incident was tragic and has sentimental implications,” a senior official of the KU told Dawn.
However, Prof Rais Alvi, registrar of the KU, said the university started conducting examinations on Wednesday.
“Today, we conducted examinations of BA, MEd, MBBS, BDS, etc after a lapse of four days,” he said, adding that public dealing had also resumed. The KU had officially suspended these examinations and public dealing for Monday and Tuesday as a precautionary measure.
Officials said vehicles not registered by the KU had been barred from entering the campus. Besides, no visitor was being allowed without showing ample identity proof.
However, attendance remained negligible on the campus after the Islami Jamiat-i-Talaba, which claimed that all the four KU students were its activists, announced mourning till Wednesday.
“The general impression among the students is that no classes will be held because of the mourning despite the fact that no such announcement was made by the university management,” a senior teacher said.
The IJT’s announced mourning period concluded on Wednesday, yet the students and faculties are uncertain about uninterrupted academic activities on the campus.
“We have heard that the IJT will extend the mourning days but it is not clear and this situation will certainly affect the academic activities at the KU for a few more days,” a teacher said.
He said the incident was tragic and the loss of precious lives was irreparable, but the university management should ensure that the suspension of teaching activities should not prolong as it would affect the session and the students would be the ultimate sufferers.
Prof Alvi said the suspension of teaching activities for five days might not affect the overall academic session. However, Prof Suhail Barkati, president of the Karachi University Teachers Society, said it could affect the academic session if the university management did not take serious notice of the situation and go for proactive measures to ensure that there was no further interruption in the teaching activities.
“We condemn the incident and demand serious investigations by the authorities and punishment to those involved in it so that no such tragedy recurs, yet we believe prolonged closures of the university will not resolve such issues,” said Prof Barkati.
Meanwhile, the United Students Front staged a demonstration at the Karachi Press Club. The participants were carrying banners and placards inscribed with anti-government slogans.
Speakers at the demonstration demanded the arrest of killers of the IJT workers.
