After offices, QAU to resume classes too today

Islamabad :The Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) will resume classes today (Monday) after forced closure for two and a half weeks by a group of students.

The administrative activities were restarted on Friday after successful talks between the university's administration and Quaidian Students Federation activists protesting expulsion of students over campus violence, and higher fee and poor facilities.

The district administration had facilitated the dialogue. It also deployed the police personnel on and around campus in large numbers.

During the talks, the administration agreed to withdraw 10 per cent increase in fee and provide the requisite facilities to day scholars and hostellers and said the Syndicate, , the university’s supreme decision-making body, would decide the demand for the restoration of expelled students.

The QSF called off the strike but some students, mostly of the Baloch Student Federation, criticised the administration for not meeting their demands, especially on the expulsion of students.

They said they would meet on Monday to finalise future course of action. From Oct 4 to Oct 19, the Quaidian Students Federation activists had forcibly stopped teachers from taking classes and locked administration offices against the expulsion of students over campus violence, higher fee, poor facilities and shortage of hostels.

They had also blocked the university’s main road and refused to allow buses to ply on campus. The administration had expelled some students representing two ethnic councils over an armed clash in May this year, while some were either rusticated or fined.

The syndicate, which met on Friday, said it had formed a three-member committee to examine the call for the reversal of the students’ expulsion. It however said it would stick to its earlier order for strict disciplinary action against troublemakers.