Pakistan

1,700 flood-affected students unable to pay their dues

University assured students that they would make a flood relief grant to help them pay their dues.

Azam Khan September 27, 2010

ISLAMABAD: Approximately 1,700 students of the Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) Islamabad, who are unable to pay their dues for spring semester, have appealed to the administration for fee waivers.

The university had previously assured these students that they would make a flood relief grant to help them pay their dues. However, later they did not do so and gave students a one week’s time (September 16 to September 23) to pay the fees.

“We were told that if we do not submit the dues within the given time, our names would be struck-off from the attendance list,” Shahjahan, an M.Phil student from Layyah, told The Express Tribune.

Majid Khan, another PhD student at QAU, said that he showed his Watan Card – an ATM card given by the government to flood-affected people – to the administration to demonstrate his financial crisis. “They refused to give me a fee waiver and said I had to submit my dues ‘at any cost’,” he said.

Majid added, “Being a PhD student, I cannot tell you how embarrassing it is for me to ask for money from others.”

Siddqullah, a student from Balochistan, also said that it was difficult for him and his other friends to arrange for money and he was unsatisfied by the university’s stance on the issue.

“How is it possible for me to pay my dues when we have lost everything,” he said.

An official at the Vice Chancellors office told The Express Tribune that a list of some 1,700 flood affected students has been submitted to the accounts department and these students would be compensated at a later date.

“We will refund these students later,” he said.

The official said that they were concerned about these students and recognised their plight. However, he added, the process of providing compensation to these students had not been completed as yet and the administration could not do anything about the matter.

Professor Amanat Ali, an Economic lecturer at the university, said there were many students at his department who had been unable to arrange for their dues.

“Even though the university administration has made its decision that all students will have to pay fees, I will take the matter up with Vice Chancellor Dr Masoon Yousafzai and see if anything can be done for [the flood-affected students],” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 27^th, 2010.

COMMENTS (7)

Asif | 13 years ago | Reply good 2 see one of our teacher comment. I agreed with you people that 1700 of our university students have suddenly left with nothing. Some days I went to a funfair organized by bio dept. I strolled passed the section where the songs were being aired at such volume that it was more like hollywood place but not a university. I m sure that sir asif sitting in his office in Math dept wud b enjoying the positive change of air after such devastating floods which preturbed the whole nation. On my inquiry There in this song section i came to know that the poor and needy students of QAU were paying Rs 100 for a 30 sec song dedication and as much as 500 to play a whole song. The very moment the worst hit students of southern punjab arrived in a group and started an orgy of dance whopping and i left the scene. My respected sir i value ur observation that i ve no clue of the situation but while most of the students were fasting in their home this holy month of Ramzan a little group of student was working day and night under sir idrees of Economics dept day and night for the flood affectees. They made a trip to charsadda and a bigger one to southern punjab. I was a humble part of that. Thanks

Sohail Ahmed Dayo | 13 years ago | Reply Assalam U Alaikum I am an ex-Quaidian and i feel we should raise this issue in every department of university and then request the administration of QAU to think on that issue. Regards

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Sufian Munawar | 13 years ago | Reply I am also a student of QAU and very sad and upset on this situation at our university. I have seen myself many needy students wondering in search of loan with great embrassment as our deparment also displayed a notice threating to all students that if they will not submit dues they will not considered enrolled in the semester. I feel very sorrow on the selfish and egocentric though of Mr. Asif. He has given comments with out verification and baseless arguments. I invite him to visit our university with me and see which class of students are studing here and how they bear their expenses. Mr. Asif you can contact with me on my cell 03335756965. At last I appriciate the efforts of writer of this article who highlight the blazing issue of poor students of QAU.

Dr Asif Ali | 13 years ago | Reply I would not comment on the thoughts of Mr Asif as he seems to have no clue at all what is he commenting on. His image about the "class" of students in Higher studies of Public Universities and the "nominal" fees for such courses explains all about his first hand information on the subject. These students are forced to accept small amounts from Zakat and Baitulmal funds; some students are so poor (and the number runs in hundreds) that they are accepting personal Zakat from the faculty of the Universities. I invite Mr Asif to visit QAU and meet me in my office in Maths Dept and I can arrange ur meeting with the students of "class".

Asif | 13 years ago | Reply This is a gross misinterpretation of truth by the newspaper. The people who are studying at Quaid i Azam univerisity islamabad are I don't say the wealthiest,but atleast they are able to arrange their fees which is very nominal by any measure. Their exploitation of a disaster to get personal benefit of this kind is an deplorable. In Pakistan those go for higher education are not the poor and needy. Those who can afford higher education for their children are the wealthy and the middle class people. Most of these are people having govt or private jobs. How come that the flood washed away all belongings to nearly half the student of QAU. Actually this has been the problem of Pakistan. We are muslim but not a moral people. We go for our benefit always and never think what will happen to the poor and deserving who is being crushed under foot? Now these people will get their fees waived and the money for flood affectees will be doled out for the purpose. this will be written as help to flood affectees while it will actually sheer mis usage of funds and will amount to corruption. I again reiterate that I am not against the help of the student or any thing I feel jealousy. What I try to emphasis is that indeed there will be deserving students but those number is very little. It will not be more than 10 or at most 20. So utmost care should be taken if the funds meant for flood affectees are to be used justly.

Tahir Abbas Malik | 13 years ago | Reply As it is not new that injustice is all over in Pakistan. some time the injustice exceed so much that we feel ashamed as being the citizen of ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF PAKISTAN. but yet we are not hopeless and pray to God almighty oh God please take these evils(political leaders) from us and bless us with better one. i also belong from the same district where flood has shown its brutality and the poor peoples are facing such terrible situations which one couldn't even imagine. although with the grace of God my area remain safe but i can feel the pain of my country men. the amount of pain doubled when i learn that this injustice is also practiced in one of our top rank institute of Pakistan, where almost well educated authorities can be seen. i can just request these authorities that please dnt play with the feelings of poor, other wise the justice of Almighty is always their. May Allah show all of us the right path(Amen).

Dr Asif Ali | 13 years ago | Reply It is really shame on the entire community of QAU that our so many students are suffering and we are doing nothing; why dont people leave the public offices if they cant deliver what is required from them. I request the VC of QAU to intervene and get it resolved to the satisfaction of these students. Why we are asking them to submit the fee if they are unable to do that and especially if we are returning them "soon"; does not make sense at all.

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