DADU: Speakers at the 74th foundation day of Sindh University, held on its Dadu campus on Tuesday, highlighted efforts put in by then provincial education minister Pir Illahi Bux for the establishment of the institution, support of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah and enactment of the university bill despite opposition by certain members of the then Sindh Assembly.

The participants also celebrated the 11th foundation day of SU’s Dadu campus and commemorated the 53rd death anniversary of Allama I.I. Kazi.MPA from Dadu Barrister Pir Mujeebul Haq inaugurated the event.

Prof Dr Azhar Ali Shah recalled how then Sindh education minister Pir Illahi Bux prepared the bill for the establishment of the university and communicated it vide his letter to none other than Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah back in April 1947.

He said the Quaid not only recommended the Sindh University bill to then Sindh chief minister Sir Ghulam Hussain Hidayatullah, but also donated Rs150,000 for the SU.

He said that despite opposition by Hindu members of Sindh Assembly, the bill was enacted with the efforts of Pir Illahi Bux and Sir Ghulam Hussain.

He said Prof Abu Bakr Ahmed Haleem (A.B.A Haleem) from Aligarh Muslim University was appointed as founder vice-chancellor of the university at Karachi in April 1947 on the recommendation of Jinnah.

He said Prof A.B.A. Haleem was also the teacher of Pir Illahi Bux during his studies at Aligarh. Many other faculty members from Aligarh also joined the University of Sindh at Karachi.

Dr Azhar said that after the creation of Pakistan, Karachi was declared as federal capital and hence the University of Sindh was shifted to Hyderabad in April 1951 and Allama I.I. Kazi was app­ointed its vice chancellor.

Published in Dawn, April 15th, 2021