500 Lahore students booked for vandalism

ISLAMABAD: A case has been registered against more than 500 students for vandalism and arson during a protest outside a private university in Johar Town on Wednesday.

According to police, four to five hundred students have been named in the case registered at Nawab Town Police Station. The case was registered on the request submitted by the security in-charge of the private university.

The students have been demanding online exams because classes were also held virtually. A day earlier, several private university students sustained injuries after they got into a clash with security guards during demonstrations against in-person examinations. Students were present outside the university located at Jinnah Road in Johar Town since morning. According to police, between 300 and 350 students partook in the protest.

The students of the private university reached the educational institute’s main gate where they chanted slogans against the varsity’s administration.

Meanwhile Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mehmood discussed the issue of students protest with Punjab Education Minister Murad Ras.

Shafqat Mehmood also expressed happiness over the Higher Education Commission’s decision to allow universities to conduct online exams.

Taking to Twitter, Shafqat Mehmood wrote that he is “happy to note that HEC has formally allowed the universities to conduct online exams with adequate safeguards.”

“This paves the way for them to devise the right procedures quickly to do so. Education standards must be kept up. Work hard students and wish you the best,” the minister wrote.