Karachi University security standard

Robbery highlighted security lapses in KU staff
Karachi, Jan 6: A robbery on Monday in the house of a professor in the Karachi University Staff Town has alarmed the teaching and non-teaching staff and again raised the question of the standard of security that has been provided to the university.

Four robbers entered the house of Faculty of Pharmacy Dean Dr Syed Waseemuddin Ahmed between 5.00pm and 6.00pm, tied up Dr Ahmed's family, and ransacked the house.

Dr Ahmed was not in the house initially but came after some time and was grabbed by one of the robbers who was hiding beside of the main gate with a 0.30 calibre handgun. Dr Ahmed was also tied up and gagged after being dragged into the house. The robbers disconnected the telephone landline by cutting the connection cord.

The robbers collected five cell phones, Rs25,500 cash and left the house after remaining there for more than an hour. It was some with some difficulty that Dr Ahmed managed to untie himself and called Campus Security Advisor Dr Khalid Iraqi who promptly arrived on the scene and called the SHO of the Mubeena Town Police Station. The police arrived after an hour, and registered a case against the unidentified robbers.

Dr Ahmed expressed his indignation and disappointment at the incident and said that he was especially shocked by the indignity that was accorded to his old age parents.

Dr Iraqi agreed that the incident was highly deplorable and should not have happened but there were some loopholes in the campus security that could only be plugged if all the stakeholders at the University if Karachi (KU) are on board. "There are some houses in non-teaching section of the staff town that house outsiders with questionable traits.

Some houses have been rented out by the actual allottees. Some of the residents there are illegal occupants and although we have tried many times to expel them, now it has become very difficult for us to take any action as political parties will not allow us to do so," he siad.

Out of five gates in the university, four are guarded properly but the fifth gate – Ayub Gate - is very porous. Most of the maid servants, servants and others walk in through this gate. The employers, mostly teachers, have been asked to take identity cards from their servants and get their identities checked properly. Some have done so, though others have not.

SHO Mubeena Town Ghulam Nabi Afridi informed that they were investigating the case and hopefully will be able to apprehend the culprits soon. When asked why his police station was not patrolling in the KU, he said that they were not allowed in by the university authorities with their weapons.

Dr Iraqi denied that Police were not allowed to enter or patrol the campus. "It is not the case. It is other way round. There was an ugly incident some time ago when Rangers personnel had roughed up a university professor and ensuing hue and cry from the university teachers and students had prompted the Rangers to withdraw from active duty inside the campus.

At that time we had specifically requested the police to patrol the university to thwart student clashes and ensure security at the staff town. They (police) did not respond," he clarified. The news

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KU principals meeting
Karachi: A meeting of the degree colleges affiliated to the University of Karachi has been convened on Jan 6.

An announcement to this effect was made by an official of the institution on Tuesday.

He said that the vice-chancellor of Karachi University, Dr Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui, would preside over the meeting.

Matters pertaining to the admissions to the degree colleges for the academic session 2010 will come up for discussion on the occasion. APP

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Hefty funds allocated for construction of SBBMC
Karachi: Under the Lyari Development Package (LDP), the federal government has allocated hefty funds for the construction of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Medical College (SBBMC) within the premises of Ayaz Samoo Nursing School in Lyari General Hospital (LGH), Sindh Health Secretary Hashim Raza Zaidi informed on Tuesday.

Zaidi was briefing MNA Faryal Talpur during her visit to LGH where she was overseeing the ongoing development process of SBBMC and the under-construction cardiology ward.

The government has already released Rs 70 million for revamping, while Rs 50 million and Rs 114 million have been allocated for the construction of SBBMC and the cardiology ward respectively, Zaidi said and added that the ongoing works were being carried out at a fast pace that would be completed on time.

Faryal urged for speedy completion of SBBMC to ensure the commitment was diligently fulfilled that was made to the people of Lyari by President Asif Ali Zardari, who would be pleased to inaugurate the project soon.

Sindh Minister for Katchi Abadis and Spatial Development Muhammad Rafique Engineer, Pakistan People's Party Karachi Division President Najmi Alam, PPP South District President Haji Muhammad Qasim Baloch accompanied Faryal, while LDP Project Director Shafiq Paracha and SBBMC Project Director Dr Hassan Dost Afridi were also present on the occasion. Daily times

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