QAU admin, students stick to their guns

Islamabad  The Qauid-i-Azam University remained closed for the ninth consecutive day on Thursday due to the protest by the students against the expulsion of colleagues over recent violence, poor facilities, higher fee, and shortage of hostels.

Besides stopping teachers from taking classes and locking administration offices, the protesters also blocked the main university road and didn't allow buses to ply on the campus.

Also, the situation is delaying admissions to the BS programmes. Many fears the campus closure would continue for more days as the two sides stick to their guns.

A number of students representing two ethnic councils had engaged in a fierce armed clash, causing injuries to several of them. Some of the culpable students were expelled and others were rusticated, while a number of them were given penalties.

QAU Vice Chancellor Dr Javed Ashraf said the main demand of the protesters was to reverse penalties imposed on their colleagues over the recent violence. He however claimed that the administration did not have the authority to reverse the punishments and that it could only put up the matter to the Syndicate for decision.

The VC said he had requested the district administration to restore normalcy on campus and hoped that an early action would be taken at the request.  The education minister said the government wanted an early resolution of the matter through dialogue but could go for other options, too, for the purpose.  The protesters said no one had contacted them for dialogue. They warned if their 'genuine' demands were not met, they would go on hunger strike, take to the streets and even stage a sit-in.

Meanwhile, the university's Academic Staff Association announced it won't allow the restoration of expelled students, which, if done, would end discipline on campus and thus, prompting unruly students and the like-minded people to harass and intimidate faculty to compromise academic standards. It demanded the president, prime minister and interior minister step in to restore normalcy at the country’s premier varsity.