University of Karachi law admissions face dispute over ‘K’ category

: A dispute has emerged at the University of Karachi over the admission policy for its School of Law ahead of the 2027 academic session, particularly regarding the long-standing “K” or Karachi category and the proposed transfer of students from affiliated colleges.

KARACHI: A dispute has emerged at the University of Karachi over the admission policy for its School of Law ahead of the 2027 academic session, particularly regarding the long-standing “K” or Karachi category and the proposed transfer of students from affiliated colleges.

The controversy intensified after the Dean of Law reportedly secured approval from two statutory bodies — the Board of Studies and Board of Faculty — for a policy allowing students from affiliated colleges to seek transfers to the university. The matter has reportedly been forwarded to the registrar for consideration by the Academic Council.

At the same time, the School of Law has announced that the Karachi category will no longer be used for its admissions. However, questions have been raised because no fresh approval from the University’s Academic Council regarding the removal of the category has publicly emerged.

The category system has been used for admissions to various University of Karachi departments for years, while the Law Department has followed the policy for the past two years.

Dean of Law Barrister Sarfraz Maitlo confirmed that a social media post announcing the removal of the “K” category was his. He said the Academic Council had already ended the category and that the university prospectus contained a related explanation.

However, an examination of the cited prospectus page reportedly showed wording concerning previous admission percentages rather than a specific decision abolishing the Karachi category. The document states that the percentages are provided only as guidance and do not apply to admissions for 2027.

A separate record of a September 16 meeting of the School of Law’s Board of Studies and Board of Faculty has also surfaced. The minutes reportedly propose allowing transfers between universities, colleges and affiliated institutions within the city, subject to acceptance and rejection by the relevant department. The document does not clearly specify how merit would be determined under such a system.

The proposed transfer policy has raised another question: if such a facility is introduced for Law students, students from other affiliated colleges could potentially seek similar transfers.

Maitlo defended the proposal, arguing that if students from outside the city can benefit from an existing transfer mechanism, students within Karachi should also be allowed to use a similar arrangement.

However, University of Karachi Teachers’ Association president Professor Ghufran Alam disputed the legitimacy of the policy saying that no such measure had been approved by a statutory body and that a decision of this nature could not be implemented without the required institutional approval.