KU admits flaws, decides to upgrade security system

Karachi

The tragic attack on the Bacha Khan University two days ago seems to have finally convinced the management of University of Karachi to come clean about its security shortcomings, as administration officials of the city’s central varsity admitted on Thursday that the installed video surveillance system had been out of order for a year.

The university management acknowledged during a conversation with The News that the surveillance cameras installed at the start of 2015 had lasted just a few months and the vendor had refused to replace them, arguing that replacing faulty cameras was never part of its agreement with the varsity.

The varsity’s registrar, Prof Dr Moazam Ali Khan, while talking to The News, disclosed that the Higher Education Commission had released an amount of Rs30 million for the security of university campus and the administration was mulling over installing high-resolution cameras and building watch towers.

“We are going to install high-resolution cameras and building watch towers at several locations,” he said. “The campus will initially hire services of around 24 private security guards which will further increase in future.”  

Khan agreed that the present surveillance cameras, installed after the APS tragedy in Peshawar, had been unable to fulfil the purpose since they had gone out of order. Hence, the varsity required a new surveillance system.

Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Qaiser has also formed a technical committee on the matter and it would soon submit its recommendation to the officials, after which the plan of installing surveillance cameras and building watch towers will be materialised.

However, one of the members of the committee told The News on the condition of anonymity that the required notification to the effect had not yet been issued by the administration.

However, he said, the varsity has also shortlisted a few security companies and will start negotiating with them in the near future. The committee member said the watch and ward staff would be covered by the Rangers while private security guards will be deployed at high-risk spots.

In the mean time, the university’s own security department has enhance patrolling within the campus and have also written a letter to the municipal authorities to remove all nurseries situated outside its boundary as soon as possible.

According to the university registrar, the broken boundary wall of the university campus was also constructed while there were other plans under consideration to improve overall security measures.