DAWN.COM

Today's Paper | May 05, 2024

Published 09 Feb, 2013 03:53am

Karachi University & its history

THIS is apropos of your supplement on University of Karachi (Jan 30). I regret to say that the record it presented had some flagrant omissions.

First, it states that the first convocation of the university took place in 1962. In fact, the first convocation took place much earlier in the 50s. The university had no suitable place of its own to hold that convocation. It took place at the then famous Hotel Metropole. The second convocation was held in December 1958 under the tents on the barren grounds where the university buildings are currently standing.

The other omission that is noticeable is the fact that the first vice-chancellor of this university was the renowned educationist and visionary, the Ex-Pro Vice-Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University, Prof A.B.A. Haleem.

He kick-started the academic activities of the university in several buildings located on the Princess Street. It was he who got the land for plot allotted where the university stands today.

It would be proper that due credit be given to him and records are corrected in that respect. Another omission is that of Dr Mahmood Hussain, the noteworthy educationist associated with the university since its early days and who later became its vice-chancellor.

He was the education minister also at one time. Remembering the star educationists of early years of Pakistan would be a source of inspiration for the coming generations.

MUBARAK HUSAIN     Geneva

Read Comments

Pakistani lunar payload successfully launches aboard Chinese moon mission Next Story