Pirzada Qasim

Prof. Dr. Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui (Urdu: پیرزادہ قاسم رضا صدیقی) (b. 1943) is a noted scholar, Urdu poet and intellectual of Pakistan serving as Vice Chancellor of the University of Karachi.

Life

Pirzada born on February 8 1943 in a learned family of Delhi, British India. He did his intermediate from D J Science College and B.Sc (H) from University of Karachi. He earned his PhD from Newcastle University, England. He has been associated with Karachi University's Department of Physiology since 1960. He also served for Federal Urdu University as Vice Chancellor. At present, he is the vice chancellor of Karachi University. Two collections of Pirzada's poetry have brought out so far.

Tenure as Karachi University's VC

Dr Pirzada Qasim's tenure as Vice Chancellor of Karachi University has not been without controversy, particularly for violence on campus and the attitude of the University administration towards these incidents [http://www.omct.org/index.php?id=EQL&lang=eng&actualPageNumber=1&articleSet=Appeal&articleId=6256&PHPSESSID=4141fa7b98c64a7137cc19fb7dfbf71b] . His appointment is also seen in the context of his affiliation with an ethnic political group in Karachi [http://www.karachipage.com/news/september97/092797.txt] [http://www.dawn.com/2006/01/06/local17.htm] .

Another incident in the university during his tenure has further put in doubt his effectiveness as the University's chief executive and his ability to safeguard his faculty. Dr Riaz Ahmed, Associate Professor at Applied Chemistry, Karachi University was savagely assaulted by military personnel (Rangers) posted at Silver Jubilee Gate of KU on Monday March 31 at 5:02pm. Dr Ahmed was beaten with sticks, rifle butts and punches thrown at him by four military men in uniform. Dr Ahmed received severe bruises on head, shoulders and back and scores of non-teaching staff and students witnessed the assault [http://www.dawn.com/2008/04/01/local3.htm] . Even in the sometimes violent history of Karachi University this was unique as it was the University controlled security that assaulted a Professor [http://thenews.jang.com.pk/print1.asp?id=104835]

Dr. Riaz, a scholar and an advocate of non-violence [http://www.dawn.com/2004/08/21/local14.htm] , who has raised his voice to have a violence free and military free university environment. He has written many articles in newspapers on the condition of academia in Pakistan.

In a twist to this incident and possibly as consequence of inaction from the university administration, led by the Vice Chancellor, the Rangers registered a police report against the Professor, which was roundly denounced as false in newspaper editorials [http://www.dawn.com/2008/04/07/ed.htm#2] . Dr. Pirzada Qasim, as Vice Chancellor of the university, has the authority to reprimand and take action against the Rangers within the university precincts. Dr Pirzada Qasim neither condemned the act in unequivocal terms nor took any further steps to save his faculty from future harassment [http://www.dawn.com/2008/04/04/local22.htm] .

External links

* [http://www.uok.edu.pk/administration/vc.php Pirzada Resume]
* [http://www.urduadablive.com/aapki-sh/pq_select.htm Pirzada Qasim - Selected Ghazals]
* [http://shairoshairi.com/poetry.php?movie=Pirzada+Qasim A selection from his poetry]
* [http://mushaira.org/ppage.php?poet_name=Pirzada+Qasim Listen to Pirzada's poetry in his own voice]

ee also

* [http://kuprofessor.googlepages.com/ Beating up University Professor]