Karachi University Launches Major Mental Health Initiative with PILL

By: Aziz Khatri 

  Karachi: The University of Karachi and the Ishrat Hussain Pakistan Institute of Living and Learning have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote mental health services and research on campus, with a special focus on adolescents with special needs.

The signing ceremony was held at the Vice Chancellor’s Secretariat, where KU Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Khalid Mahmood Iraqi and PILL Director of Communication Dr Muhammad Akram Sultan formalised the partnership.

Under the agreement, the two institutions will establish a modern Research Center of Excellence aimed at addressing the mental, emotional, educational and diagnostic needs of adolescents. The facility will include a Diagnostic and Clinical Room for assessments, therapy sessions and evidence-based intervention programmes, along with a Research and Innovation Room dedicated to joint research, data analysis and professional training.

As part of the collaboration, two PhD and four MPhil research projects will be jointly undertaken. The partnership will also support academic conferences, seminars and professional sessions to promote knowledge exchange and research collaboration.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Akram Sultan noted that PILL, a non-profit organisation working for over two decades, focuses on improving health and well-being with particular emphasis on mental health and locally informed policy development. He described the collaboration as a significant step toward comprehensive support for young people with special needs.

Dr Khalid Iraqi stressed that mental health remains widely overlooked in society, often leading to delayed treatment and serious long-term consequences. He emphasised the importance of professional intervention and timely care.

Among those present were KU Registrar Professor Dr Imran Ahmed Siddiqui, MoU focal person Professor Dr Zi Asma Haneef Khan, Director of Public Mental Health at PILL Dr Shaista Ali Siddiqui, and KU Consultant Cardiologist Dr Akmal Waheed, among other officials and faculty members.