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The DJ Science College building is like a Keatsian ode - majestic, well constructed and soulful. If you have a penchant for studying aesthetics, and if you happen to live in Karachi, you cannot miss it.

Even in its current state - with paint coming off its walls, shattered windowpanes, grilles with interesting metalwork lying messily on the floor - the structure is a picture of art. Yes, there is a bookstore on the right side of the entrance which doesn't exactly gel with the architectural integrity of the institution, but at how many places in Karachi can you see an impressive portico supported by giant columns, and an iron staircase rising from the vestibule welcoming people into its (class)rooms? As for the dilapidated condition, worry not, at least for now. Repair work is on.

D. J. Science College Principal H. B. Chughtai says, “Six years ago, renowned scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan, who is a former student of this institution, came here. He made a plan for the restoration and renovation of the building, and asked architect Shahid Khan (also a former student of the college) to come up with a feasibility report. He said funds could be generated privately as well as through the government. The latter did release some amount and things were about to happen, but then Dr Qadeer no more remained active because of reasons known to all, and the work nearly halted.

[Source: Karachi Legacies of Empires by Peerzada Salman]

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