Karachi:
A tense confrontation was developed at the University of Karachi (KU) on Friday when the officials of the Karachi Development Authority (KDA), accompanied by police staff, allegedly tried to occupy a piece of land within the University’s facilities. The measure, described by the administration of Ku as a “monitoring of illegal lands”, was frustrated after university officials, faculty members and students confronted the team and demanded legal documentation, which according to reports, the KDA could not produce.
According to university sources, KDA’s team reached the door n. ° 1 of the KU campus, accompanied by police vehicles and a group of officials transporting construction materials. They began placing wooden stakes, marking limits and placing signs on a vacant plot located adjacent to the main entrance of the Jubilee Door Campus.
Upon receiving reports from the activity, the KU registrar, Dr. Imran Ahmed Siddiqui, and the security officer of the Campus, Muhammad Salman, rushed to the site. Ku officials interrogated the KDA team about the legality of their actions and asked them to show official documents, judicial orders or written directives who authorized them to take possession of the land. However, KDA officers could not provide any documentation.
Instead, tensions intensified when Ku Watch and Ward staff tried to resist invasion. University staff alleged that KDA officials used abusive language, abused guards and issued arrest threats. The confrontation attracted the attention of the students, who met at the scene, singing slogans against what they called an attempt to “usurp public education education.” Kda’s team finally retired.
University response
The administration of KU condemned the incident that described it as a shameless violation of the autonomy and property rights of the institution. The Registrar Dr. Siddiqui declared: “The University of Karachi is a federal academic institution, and its land is dedicated exclusively to educational purposes. No external body has the authority to take advantage of or invade university lands without a legal basis. The acquisition attempt by KDA officials is unacceptable, insufficient and will be resisted at each level.”
The Society of Teachers of the University of Karachi (KUTS) expressed its outrage, issuing a statement that accused the KDA of “institutional harassment.” Society said such invasions not only threatened the integrity of the university, but also challenged higher education in Sindh.
The president of the KUTS, Prof. Dr. Shahid Rasool, said: “The land of Ku is not for commercial exploitation. It is a national asset for research, teaching and production of knowledge. If the KDA or any other department tries to marry the University of its legitimate property, the academic community will launch a strong movement and will not hesitate to protest in the streets.”
Land disputes
The land around the University of Karachi has long been a containment issue. Established in 1951, the university occupies one of the largest campus in Pakistan, which covers more than 1,200 acres in Gulshan-iiqbal. Throughout the decades, different state and private actors have reported multiple attempts to occupy parts of the ownership of the university.
In the past, the portions of land on the periphery of Ku were invaded by housing societies and commercial projects, which caused repeated protests of the administration. University officials argue that these attempts are fed by the high real estate value of the Earth, given its central location and vast size.
The last incident occurs in the midst of the growing concerns about urban land disputes in Karachi, where state agencies, housing authorities and private developers frequently face property.
Student participation
Friday’s confrontation also saw the participation of the students, who rushed to the place after learning about the alleged invasion. Videos circulated on social networks showed students to raise slogans in support of the KU administration, demanding that the land remain reserved for academic purposes.
