KARACHI: Teachers and employees of the University of Karachi (KU) have welcomed the Sindh government’s move to take “necessary action” over a request for an audit of the former vice chancellor’s seven-year tenure and consider a financial bailout package for the university, saying both measures are necessary to improve transparency and help the institution overcome its financial and administrative crises.

In a letter dated July 25, a copy of which is available to Dawn, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah asked the Universities and Boards Department to examine the request submitted by KU employees’ union “Mulazmeen Ittehad” and take necessary action. An official communication issued by the Chief Minister’s Secretariat said the matter had been referred to the secretary of the Universities and Boards Department.

The application by the KU employees had called for financial assistance for the university and requested an audit of former vice chancellor Dr Khalid Mahmood Iraqi’s seven-year tenure.

The communication stated that the chief minister endorsed the application and directed the department to process the request. The Secretariat instructed the Universi­ties and Boards Depart­ment to deal with the matter in accordance with the relevant laws, rules and government policy, and to inform the Chief Minister’s Secreta­riat of the action taken at the earliest.

Representatives of the Karachi University Teachers Society (Kuts) and Mulazmeen Ittehad welcomed the government move.

Kuts President Dr Ghufran Alam said the teachers’ body appreciated the continuation of the audit and inquiry process, along with the inquiries that were already underway.

He said the process, as directed by the Sindh chief minister, would help ensure transparency and strengthen confidence in the outcome of the investigations.

Dr Alam also urged the committee members and the Sindh government to release the promised grant for the university, saying the institution urgently needed financial support. “The grant will provide much-needed relief to the university, its faculty and employees,” he said.

Meanwhile, President of Mulazmeen Ittehad Farhan Khan also welcomed the move, describing it as a positive step towards addressing the university’s financial problems. He said the employees’ body was not against any individual and that its demand for an audit was aimed solely at ensuring accountability and transparency.

Mr Khan said the university had acknowledged that it was facing a financial deficit and serious financial challenges. “That makes it necessary to determine how all this happened and who is responsible. The audit should identify the factors that contributed to the crisis,” he added.

Published in Dawn, August 1st, 2026