KARACHI (PPI) - The plan to start postgraduate classes and set up upgraded science laboratories at Sindh Muslim Government Science College is in doldrums due to encroachments over large portion of the college premises situated adjacent to Sindh Madrasa-tul-Islam. The city government and college administration in past had many meetings to chalk out a strategy to remove the encroachments from the college premises, but the city and town administration seemed reluctant to remove the encroachment so that new classrooms and laboratories could be set up. This college has a historical background as it started from a school founded by the Pakistan Movement leader Hasan Ali Effendi, who purchased this land and built the school, which is the alma mater of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Interestingly, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, later, laid the foundation stone of S M Science College in 1943. His sister Ms. Fatima Jinnah also contributed in construction of classrooms and servant quarters on a portion of the college premises, where the proposed postgraduate classes, new laboratories and extension of auditorium are planned. The former principal college Prof Jamil Ahmed in his letter to CCOB Karachi Building Control Authority on July11, 2007, asked to remove the dilapidated servant quarters and surrounding encroachments. In the letter, he maintained that he had already informed the concerned authorities including TPO Saddar Town and others in this regard. Meanwhile, the CDGK showed interest in extension of auditorium of the college and introducing postgraduate classes. In this regard, Deputy City Officer Education Works Saddar Town in a letter to the principal on August 08, 2008, asked him to take strict measure to remove the illegal encroachment from the proposed land at the backside of college premises. It was learnt that the encroachers had not only grabbed the college land but also used it for business purposes including setting up a car parking lot in busy area behind the Habib Bank Plaza. It was learnt that when the college management sent masons and construction workers for extension of auditorium, the encroachers beat them up. The encroachers also converted the changing room of the auditorium into garbage dumping site. The present principal of the college Ms Zaibunisa Siddiqui, when contacted, told PPI that the college administration through many letters had, repeatedly, asked the city government, especially the Saddar Town administration, to take effective measure to remove the encroachments but in vain. She said although they had many plans to develop and upgrade the college but they were unable to materialize them due to non-cooperation from city government. She said that they could only appeal again and again to the city administration to take practical measures to remove the encroachments so that postgraduate classes could be started in the college. She said that she was not optimistic that the matter would be resolved until some high-ranking official intervenes to get the encroachments removed.