Attempt to get college vacated stirs clash.

KARACHI -- Police on Saturday had to baton charge and lob teargas shells to disperse a group of students who allegedly pelted stones at the law enforcers when the latter tried to get the Islamia College - one of the oldest educational institutions of the city - vacated on a court order.

SHO Naveed Soomro of the Jamshed Quarters police station said that the college was said to have been established on a private property whose owners/trustees had moved Supreme Court to get its premises vacated. The officer claimed that the apex court had issued its order in favour of 'decree-holders' (private owners) and directed the Sindh High Court to get it vacated. He said the SHC eventually directed City Courts to ensure implementation of the SC order.

The SHO said that the police party along with the Nazir/bailiff, appointed by a city court, went to the college along with senior police and education department officials. While the bailiff was holding talks with the college principal, a group of enraged students started throwing stones at the police team present outside the college, he said. The police had to apply baton charge and 'mild teargas shelling' to disperse them, he added.

Later, the officer said, the East SSP along with education secretary (colleges) Abdul Aleem Lashari and other officials, came and engaged the college administration in negotiations on vacating the premises.

Official version

Mr Lashari told Dawn that it was in 1957 that the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) had provided about four-and-a-half acres of land to the Islamic Education Fund (IEF) on a rent basis to establish its colleges and schools. The IEF claims that it owns the land but the KMC asserts that it was not leased out to the organisation.

The matter, he added, was taken to the Supreme Court, which directed high court to decide its ownership.

He said that the KMC and other stakeholders also became 'inter-pleaders' in the case.

Mr Lashari said that the SHC had directed the provincial government to deposit the rent with its official assignee and as such the provincial...