Islamabad
Pakistan’s top-ranking university continues to face turmoil as protesting students and the Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) administration failed to reach a consensus after 20 days of protests against a hike in fees and for the restoration of expelled students. The University has refused the demand in a unanimous decision.
The situation turned grim on Monday when Islamabad Police arrested more than 100 protesting students of the Islamabad university who tried to disrupt the academic activities as the university opened after a three-week hiatus. Several students were also reportedly injured in clashes with the police.
On Tuesday morning, however, educational activities were partly restored at Pakistan’s top university after 20 days of closure, with strict security and policemen deployed inside the campus to cope with any unfortunate incident.
Academy administration stated the police personnel will stay inside the university until the situation returns to normal.
The students detained on October 23 have now been released. Superintendent in Police Zubair Shaikh told media that the people who were arrested over spreading chaos in the university have been released and police have lodged three separate cases against students over interference in government affairs, vandalism and forcibly terminating classes.
The university — which had been closed since October 4 — reopened on Monday. However, a group of Baloch students tried to stop the university buses and staged a sit-in against the administration, faculty and the syndicate committee.
Islamabad police arrested dozens of protesting students after QAU Vice Chancellor Dr Javed Ashraf requested reinforcement from Islamabad Police on Monday. “It has been brought to my notice that some ex-students and outsiders accompanied by the present students started disrupting the normal functioning of the departments and harassed the faculty and staff,” Ashraf said in his letter to the chief commissioner Islamabad police.
The turmoil first began on October 4 when some students went on a strike demanding that all the students who were expelled due to their involvement in a fight and strikes be restored. The students also demanded a revision of the new fee structure, provision of new hostels and more buses, as well as improved student facilities.
At least 10 Baloch students were expelled by the university following armed clashes on the campus on May 20 between the two ethnic groups, Sindhi and Baloch students.
The leading student protestor, Baloch Council Chairman Kamran Baloch and other students claim that Baloch students are being victimised by the university administration. “We are facing injustice,” a student Shahdad Baloch, said, adding that their protest would continue.
However, the university administration has unequivocally refused to undo the punishments. “The punishments awarded for the May 20 incident will not be affected” the academia said. But it has decided to form a three-member committee to review the punishments.
The turmoil has been a hot topic on social media. Many have shared their concerns about the future of the expelled students. Saboor Khan, an education activist, said: “The arrest and beating of innocent students is a shameful act by Islamabad Police and QAU as peaceful protest is their legal right.”
Some are in agreement with the policy adopted by QAU. A teacher, Rashid Ali, said: “I appreciate the VC of Quaid-e-Azam University for his zero tolerance policy against the spread of violence within the premises of the campus” he said.
QAU was ranked among the top 500 universities in the world, according to a latest report by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.
