NED was established in 1921 as the Prince of Wales Engineering College by the citizens of Karachi to commemorate Prince of Wales’ visit to the city. It was affiliated with the University of Bombay and offered Bachelor of Engineering in two disciplines: Civil and Electrical-Mechanical. Upon the partition of India in 1947, it was affiliated with the University of Sindh and four years later, upon the establishment of the University of Karachi, NED saw its third affiliation. During the early years of the Ayub Khan regime, when the wheels were set in motion to create Engineering Universities it would have been logical for NED, being the oldest engineering institution in the country, to get the nod.
NED was, however, passed over, and in 1961 the Engineering Universities were created in Lahore and Dhaka. What followed was years of neglect of NED. Not only was it deprived of its rightful status, it was also neglected when monies were being allocated. But NED survived. Not only did it survive, it thrived. It kept on taking in young boys (and later girls as well) and making skilled and capable men and women out of them. And all these years, NEDians’ struggle to obtain their rights continued. In the mid to late sixties, with the assistance of the World Bank, a plan was initiated for the construction of a new campus adjacent to that of the University of Karachi.
This plan survived bureaucratic negligence and incompetence until construction was finally undertaken in 1973. It took two years, but eventually the move was realized. On September 20, 1975, history was made as proud NEDians boarded a handful of buses, cars and – yes – motorcycles, flying the maroon flag with the hammer, chisel and level of NED to undertake the journey from the old to the new campus on University Road. NED had survived to see its move into a brand new home. The fight for survival was still on. With all its Glory, it was still an Engineering College, still affiliated with its new neighbor, the University of Karachi. The strife continued. In 1976 the Government announced that NED would be upgraded to the status of an additional Campus of the University of Karachi, and instead of the Principal, will now be headed by a ProVice Chancellor (PVC). This was good; but not good enough. NED had to become a University: NEDians made it loud and clear, in their meetings with the Government, in their General Body Meetings, and in the headline of the next issue of Maimar, the College newspaper: “Let PVC come with a Date!” The message was heard. Mr. Abdur Rahman Akhund, then Chairman of Pakistan Railway Board, himself an Alumnus of NED, a career civil servant, was appointed the PVC and he came with a Date – March 1, 1977. But there was yet another caveat. As of that date, NED Engineering College would be upgraded to the University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi.
Conspicuously absent were the letters NED. The struggle was not over. So, the NEDians started the conversation with the Government. The conversations did not get anywhere. So, as per the custom of the time, the NEDians boarded a few buses and descended on the Chief Minister’s House. While the rest of them waited outside, a delegation went in to deliberate with Mr. Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi, then the Chief Minister of Sindh. After a good hour and a half, or so, the delegation emerged chanting NED, NED. And the skies of Karachi filled with roars of NED, NED. NEDians had prevailed. And so, more than thirty-five years ago NED Engineering College became NED University of Engineering & Technology. It was indeed, the beginning of another chapter in the Glory of NED.
Long Live NED. Long Live NEDians.
