KARACHI, Jan 6: Within an hour of assuming his office on Tuesday, the newly-appointed vice-chancellor of the University of Karachi, Dr Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui, transferred the siting KU Registrar, Dr Fahim Uddin, as senior Chemistry teacher.

According to a KU notification, Dr Muhammad Qaiser, the Botany department chairman, has once again been appointed as registrar, who joined his new assignment on Tuesday afternoon.

Dr Siddiqui, while speaking at two different occasions during the day, told the varsity's teaching and non-teaching employees and newsmen that the KU needed changes, both on administrative as well as academic sides, adding that, however, he would not take any hasty decision and prefer to tackle the problems after setting priorities.

He maintained that he had not been handed over by his appointing authorities any list of "special tasks," nor he saw any hidden agenda behind his appointment as VC.

"I am not under any pressure from any side and would like to exercise my powers, independently, for bringing improvements in the university affairs, as permissible under the rules," he pointed out to employees and teachers, who had gathered in his office to welcome him.

The outgoing VC, Dr Zafar Said Saify, was not present to receive the new VC. Dr Pirzada informed newsmen that Dr Saify had congratulated him over telephone, while a formal taking over would be done at some other place, instead of VC office, in the evening.

Dr Pirzada, who has been serving as VC of the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Sciences and Technology, prior to the latest assignment at KU, said that he believed in maximum interaction between varsity students and teachers and he, during his assignment as VC, would ensure more academic freedom, improved system of teaching and research, accommodation of views expressed by teachers, students and non-teaching staff of the varsity, which, he said, were necessary for smooth functioning of the university.

Employees, teachers and students were basic elements of any seat of higher learning, and none of the three could be ignored or taken in isolation, he added. The entire population on the campus would have to make joint efforts to raise further the status of KU among the local universities and among those in the region, he noted, saying that better use of available funds and resources would play important role in this regard.

To a question, he said that the impression that Dr Saify did not turn up for handing over of charge to him in view of hostile attitude of varsity employees was not correct.

On deployment of Rangers and initiation of stringent disciplinary measures against students within educational institutions, he said that those had been a source of concern, but needed to be addressed at a joint forum of all concerned quarters. He agreed that universities should be given alternates to the banned students unions.

He said that he would not mind if any pro vice-chancellor was appointed to share his work load. He was of the view that personally he did not like security or protocol arrangements for him, and would like to welcome the teachers, students and employees at his office to hear their problems. Meanwhile, talking to APP, the new VC said that it appeared as if the varsity affairs were being run on ad hoc basis.

According to the agencies, Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan, who is also the chancellor of the public sector universities in the province, last night appointed Mr Pirzada as the new VC of KU. He would also undertake planning in order to run the affairs of the institution in an effective manner.