The Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association (SPLA) has vowed that the playground of Jamia Millia Government Degree College, Malir, will not be allowed to be encroached upon, while accusing the administration of failing to act against land grabbers.
During a visit to the college, SPLA central president Prof Munawar Abbas, senior vice president Prof Mohammad Adeel Khawaja, Karachi region president Prof Asif Munir, vice president Zahid Latif, lady vice president Prof Kanwal Mujtaba, senior joint secretary Prof Habib Khan, Korangi district president Prof Nadeem Ahmed, East district president Prof Maqbool Memon and others were briefed by the college principal Prof Hassan Baloch and faculty members.
Addressing teachers on the occasion, Prof Abbas said colleges in Sindh were not “lootable assets” but vital institutions serving students from lower- and middle-income backgrounds. He noted that various parts of the college had already been encroached upon, with related cases pending before the Sindh High Court.
Expressing concern over what he termed the administration’s inaction, the SPLA leadership urged Sindh Education Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah to take immediate notice of the situation. Prof Abbas warned that if the authorities failed to retrieve the college ground from encroachers, teachers and students across Karachi would be compelled to take matters into their own hands to reclaim the space. He added that any resulting law and order situation would be the responsibility of the administration.
The SPLA delegation, along with the principal and staff, also visited various encroached portions of the college. During the visit, individuals allegedly associated with the land mafia were seen recording videos of the delegation and faculty members and reportedly sharing them with unidentified persons.
