KARACHI: Around 700 students and staff at Government Degree Girls College Green Belt, Mehmoodabad, continue to study and work in a building declared structurally unsafe, as a bureaucratic dispute between the College Education Department and its Works and Services Wing delays evacuation.
According to official correspondence, the college building—under the Sindh College Education Department—has developed severe cracks, with parts of the ceiling at risk of collapse and upper floors reportedly unstable. Despite multiple warnings and written directives, the premises remain occupied.
The Works and Services Department, in letters dated August 26 and September 1, urged the immediate evacuation of the college to prevent any “untoward incident.” However, no practical steps have been taken so far to relocate students or staff.
Sources said an initial plan to shift the college temporarily to another government facility in Azam Basti was stalled after the host institution’s administration verbally opposed the move, leading to a complete stalemate. Currently, only a few classrooms have been vacated, and some classes are being conducted in laboratories and makeshift spaces.
Repeated attempts by The Express Tribune to contact the college principal, Prof Anees Fatima, for comment were unsuccessful despite several phone calls and text messages.
Regional Director of Colleges Prof Qazi Arshad confirmed the building’s dangerous state, noting it was constructed beside or possibly over a stormwater drain, which has worsened its structural instability. He criticised the Works and Services Department for directly corresponding with the college instead of following official channels. “We have now sent soil samples for testing. Once the report is received, a final decision will be made regarding relocation,” he said.
In its earlier communications, the Works and Services Subdivision-I termed the structure “extremely dangerous” and advised immediate evacuation. Despite these warnings, the building remains occupied—leaving the lives of hundreds of students and teachers in serious jeopardy.
