IIU to reopen on 12th, to run buses for students, staff

Islamabad
Here is good news for the International Islamic University, Islamabad, students disturbed by the management’s decision to keep the university buses off the roads on Jan 12 when the main campus in H-11 is slated to reopen after a three weeks break.
According to the spokesman for the IIU, the university’s transport facility will be available to students as well as members of staff in Islamabad and Rawalpindi from Jan 12.
The IIU along with its constituent units was closed for a week starting on December 22 over terrorist threats in the wake of the December 16 Taliban attack on a Peshawar educational institution, which left 151 people, including 132 children, dead.
However, its reopening was delayed first until December 28, then until January 4 and finally until January 11.
The top management had decided that it won’t run its transport vehicles over terrorist threats. However, the decision was withdrawn during a meeting on Friday.
The students, especially girls, welcomed the management’s decision to run buses from the day the main campus will resume academic activities.
A student of BSc, who wished not to be named, told ‘The News’ that she lived in Saddar area in Rawalpindi and since her locality was far away from the university’s main campus in H-11, she was very upset at learning about the unavailability of university bus on Jan 12 for security reasons.
“I regularly use university bus. As there is no one at home to drop me there (on campus) in absence of university bus, I’d thought of absenting myself from classes on (January) 12th. But I’d to change my mind after learning that the university transport will be available to me,” she said.
Another girl student, from Gulzar-i-Quaid area in Rawalpindi, said she was much disturbed by the university’s announcement that its buses would remain off the roads from Jan 12 for security reasons.
“The university bus is a comfortable as well as affordable way to reach campus. In fact, the H-11 campus is quite off the public transport routes. In case university bus is not available, then I’ll have to change three public transport vehicles to be near the campus before covering the rest of the distance on foot. The other option is to take taxi but that is very heavy on my pocket.
“I’m much relaxed since the university announced today it would run transport to my locality. The change of the decision to the benefit of students is welcome,” he said.