Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) Pro-Chancellor and Education Minister Balighur Rehman on Wednesday failed to persuade students to call off their protest.

According to details, Balighur Rehman met protesting QAU students in front of the National Press Club (NPC) and ensured them that their demands would be met. However, students refused to call off their protest until restoration of expelled students.

“You people are very beloved to us. So your issue will be resolved on priority basis. However, adoption of procedure is fundamental requirement”, the minister told students.

The minister said that the university’s Syndicate could relax punishments announced by University Disciplinary Committee (UDC). “Neither chancellor nor I can give any concession in this matter,” he claimed. QAU students have been protesting since October 4. They have been demanding the restoration of expelled students.

The protesting students tried to enter the Red Zone to move towards parliament and the Supreme Court; however, they were stopped by police.

Earlier, a protest was also held at the varsity due to which academic activities remained suspended for 25 days.

After annoyance of the National Assembly standing committee, the QAU administration sought help from Islamabad Capital Administration (ICT) and police. On Monday, heavy contingents of police were also called in, while few senior officials, including SSP Sajid Kyani, Secretariat SHO Qaiser Geelani and some city administration officers also held talks with protesting students. However, talks proved fruitless and police started a crackdown on protesting students and arrested some of them.

However, according to the SHO Qaiser Geelani all arrested students had been released. He said that an undertaking was sought from those released.

“In the undertaking students promised that they would not interrupt the university peace and classes. They also admitted that they would only continue peaceful protest, which is their constitutional right,” Geelani added.

The University Disciplinary Committee (UDC) had expelled seven students from the university after they were found guilty of being involved in the violent clash occurred between two groups at the varsity.

It also imposed fines on some other students while some others had also been banned for one or two semesters. According to the available information three days ago, an emergency meeting of the Syndicate was also called to consider the issue of the expelled students.

According to a Syndicate member, the meeting unanimously upheld the decisions of the UDC for expulsion of students. However, it devised a three-member committee to review the procedure adopted by the UDC for punishing the students. The committee will present its report on November 17.

Published in Daily Times, October 26^th 2017.