KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi on Thursday called for a cut in Karachi University’s fees to align them with other public sector universities in Sindh.
Speaking at a press conference held outside the university precinct, city chief of the JI Monem Zafar urged the authorities to slash the public sector higher academia fee.
Slamming the exorbitant fee structure, he dubbed the higher charges a “major financial burden” on students. Flanked by Karachi University’s Students Alliance Chief, Kamran Sultan Ghani and others, he demanded an end to the fee disparity.
He pointed out the stark disparity in fees between Karachi University and Sindh University, saying that pharmacy students at the KU pay Rs78,000 a semester comparing to Rs22,500 at the Sindh University.
Similarly, he added, Doctor of Physiotherapy students at the KU face fees of Rs209,000 per semester, more than double the Rs80,000 charged at the Sindh University.
“The fee structure at KU is five times higher than that of the Sindh University, making higher education unaffordable for many students,” Zafar said. He added that this financial stain has led to a sharp fall in admission applications at the KU, dropping from 15,000 last year to just 7,000 this year.
Zafar also criticized the insufficient transport facilities at the KU, where only 28 buses serve over 45,000 students, comparing to 70 buses for 22,000 students at the Sindh University. “Even 70 buses are inadequate for 22,000 students, so it makes the KU’s situation even deplorable,” he said.
The JI leader also addressed broader issues, including the delayed Red Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project and the Medical and Dental Colleges Admission Test (MDCAT).
He criticized the Red Line project as a waste of resources, citing delays and a cost escalation from $504 million to $700 million.
He also condemned the loss of three labourers’ lives during the project and accused the PPP’s Sindh government of using development projects as opportunities for corruption.
Regarding MDCAT, Zafar demanded an increase in examination centres in Karachi. “While Lahore has eight centres and Peshawar five, Karachi, a city of millions, is unfairly limited,” he said, suggesting the Expo Centre as a suitable venue.
Zafar urged Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah to address the disparity in fees between public sector universities, improve transport facilities at KU, and ensure the timely completion of development projects without compromising safety.
He also called for restrictions on heavy traffic in Karachi during daytime hours, citing over 600 reported road accidents involving tankers in the past year.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
Comments
Comments are closed for this article.