UK administration postpones international conference under the pretext of security

KARACHI: The acting administration of Karachi University (KU) has failed to organize the first international conference on modern trends in science and engineering technology despite the plan for the conference finalized several months ago.

Delegates from Europe, the United States, Canada, the Middle East, and other countries had to attend this vital conference, but it was postponed for an indefinite time, two months before the decided schedule, under the pretext of security threats, despite there were no reservations from delegations about the security issue.

This conference was very important for the UK in terms of international image building of the varsity by highlighting its academic performance and excellence on the world level.

During the era of former acting Vice-Chancellor Dr. Khalid Mahmood Iraqi this conference was announced and high-level arrangements were made for it.  Registration fees were also received from interested participants and funds were also collected from sponsored companies.  

The committee set up to organize this international conference included a number of officers of the present administration. Among them were Patron in Chief Vice-Chancellor, Patron Dean Science Dr. Nasira Khatun, Chief Organizer Dr. Maqsood Ali Ansari, Conference Secretary Dr. Imran A. Siddiqui and Dr. Samina Bano, Dr. Iram Bashir, Dr. Iram Zahir, Dr. Shagufta Ishtiaq, and Dr. Shahina Naz, while Zia-ul-Haq was the coordinator in the conference committee.

The conference was scheduled to be held in the last week of July this year, but the acting administrator of the UK announced on May 16 that the moot was postponed for an indefinite time because of security issues after a suicide attack on the varsity last month.  

When contacted, acting Registrar Dr. Maqsood Ali Ansari said that in the present situation it was not possible to hold this international level conference, so it has been canceled. “Low fees of up to Rs.3,000 were received as registration that will be refunded,” he added.

However he admitted that this was a very important conference for the university as new ideas about science, engineering and technology would have come up if it had been held.

Ansari said that the administration did not seek any help from Rangers or from other security agencies for the surety of the conference.