Daily Times

According to the reports, Punjab University has cancelled the M.Phil. degree of one of the main organizers of the Students Solidarity March being held today. Husnain Jamil Faridi, a student of Punjab University, was seen playing the drums during the awareness campaign for the march at the Faiz International Festival.

Academic and activist Dr. Ammar Ali Jan tweeted and claimed that Husnain’s degree has been cancelled while noting that “corrupt university admins are afraid of emerging power of students.”

Journalist Rabia Mehmood stated on Twitter that Husnain was informed verbally about his termination and was never given a warning. He was also barred from entering Punjab University’s campus.

Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari has also condemned Punjab University for cancelling the degree of one of the organisers of the Students Solidarity March.

In a tweet from her official account, the minister stated that a university’s cancellation of a student’s degree earned through his academic endeavours was blatantly political and unwarranted. She added that the university was itself acting politically in retaliation for what it perceived to be a political act.

In response to Dr. Ammar’s tweet Professor Dr. Rana Eijaz Ahmad said that the notification of University of Balochistan has been attached with a news describing something about the Punjab University.

The Public Relation Officer of PU, Khurram Shahzad rubbished such ‘baseless allegations’ and explained the matter. “Mr. Husnain was a student of M.Phil. Pakistan Studies, not M.Phil. Political Science as claimed by some people. He got admission in 2015 and he was supposed to complete his degree in maximum 4 years since the commencement of his classes. Four years have been passed and Mr. Husnain neither submitted his thesis nor completed the degree. Therefore, his admission has been cancelled as per the rules of the Higher Education Commission (HEC),” he said.

He also clarified that the university never issued him any degree (of M.Phil.) since he never completed the degree he was enrolled in. “According to the HEC rules, his admission stands cancelled,” he added. He also said that Husnain is no longer a student of PU.

Moreover, Mr. Shahzad said that the university has banned the entry of Mr. Husnain due to latter’s banned activities at the campus. “The university has the right to ban the entry of anyone (outsider) who instigates students against the administration,” he said.

Notably, the students across Pakistan are protesting with a demand for lifting the ban and hold elections for student unions in all colleges and universities of the country. Leaders/organizers of the march demanded the present government take immediate steps in order to show its seriousness in upgrading the polarized and class-based education system of Pakistan.

Analysts believe that the misuse of the March to gain some personal benefit is likely to damage the overall cause the students are voicing for. G. M Pitafi, Lahore-based academic, in an exclusive interview stated, “this news has disappointed me. These students should have been careful. But where is the media? Don’t they [media] confirm the developments before they publish them?”. He further noted that both student leaders and their supporters are encouraged to carefully read the situation so that their myopic personal interests do not overshadow the collective purpose of the march.