Spread over 1200 acre of land, the University of Karachi was established through
the parliament as a Federal University in 1951. However, through another act of
the parliament in 1962 its status was redefined as university of the province
of Sindh. On 23rd October, 1950 the Karachi University Act was passed and after
an amendment in 1951 it was enacted and Prof A.B.A Haleem was appointed as its
first Vice Chancellor. For the first two years, the University of Karachi remained
as an examination University for the affiliated colleges. In the year 1953 it
started its teaching and research activities at two Faculties of Arts and Science.
Opened with an initial intake of 50 students, the university is now a sprawling
structure of 53 Departments and 20 world class and highly reputable Research Centers
and Institutes, under eight faculties of Arts, science Islamic Studies Pharmacy
Commerce & Business Administration, Law, Education and Medicine. At present
the enrolment of a regular student at the Campus is slightly over 24,000. There
are about 700 teachers and more than 2500 supporting staff.
The University in the beginning was housed in small buildings was housed in
small buildings adjacent to the Civil Hospital. Meanwhile, due to rapid expansion,
it began to be felt that the space in which the university was functioning was
not enough for its needs.
Moreover the atmosphere of the congested and polluted area was not conducive
to higher education and research. Thus a plot a of a1279 acres of land was acquired
on the Country Club Road (now University Road). On 18th January 1960 the university
was shifted to the new campus. Thus began a new phase in the life of the university.
The day is still commemorated by various old students’ Association and
the University administration jointly.
Karachi University always proudly mentions the names of renowned educationists
and scholars associated with this institution of higher learning like, Dr. I.
H. Qureshi, Dr. Mahmud Hussain, Dr. Salemuzzaman Siddiqui, Dr. Afzal Hussain
Qadri, Dr. M. M. Ahmed , Dr Mujtaba Karim, Prof. M. Ilyas, Prof. Q. Fareed,
Dr. Ibadur Rehman Khan, Prof Muntakhib ul Haq, Prof. Memony, Dr. S. M. Yousuf,
Dr. M.A Wali, Dr. Karawala. The faculty was drawn not only from Pakistan but
also included eminent educationists form Europe and America.