Trouble at FUUAST: PSF forces varsity to cancel exam, close down

On-campus brawl between two student groups has dented academic activities

ISLAMABAD: The affairs of the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Sciences and Technology (FUUAST) Islamabad campus are yet to settle as workers of a student organisation forced the administration to cancel a paper on Monday.

A notification issued late on Monday said the university will now open on July 2 owing to the commotion.

The university was closed earlier this month after students belonging to the Pakhtoon Students Federation (PSF) and the Seraiki Students Federation (SSF) clashed.

Students of the Electrical Engineering Department were about to sit in their examination, when PSF members barged in, ordering students to leave, said university officials and students.

According to them, PSF members also forced students of other classes and staffers to come out of their rooms and boycott classes.

“I was here with full preparation to attempt my first paper after two weeks without knowing about the mess that was waiting for us,” said Muhammad Junaid, an engineering student.



Another student, who refused to disclose his name, said he spent two weeks in Mianwali after the university was closed earlier preparing for the examination but only to return without getting a change to attempt the paper.

While forcing students to boycott classes and exams, PSF activists also shouted slogans against campus in-charge Dr Sulman Muhammad, who had lodged the FIR against them for their alleged involvement in manhandling university staffers and SSF students.

The PSF students were also holding banners inscribed with slogans against Sulman and the varsity management. The administration had to call in Rangers and police to control the situation but the law-enforcement agencies left without arresting anyone as students were staging ‘a peaceful protest’.

Another varsity, another protest

Meanwhile, at the Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) Islamabad, daily wage and contractual employees ended their week-long protest after the administration assured them of meeting their demands.

The demands included regularisation of contractual and daily wage employees, including security guards, marriage grants, leave encashment and other perks.

On Friday, the protesters met acting VC Dr Zakaullah who assured them that a departmental promotion committee will be formed after Eid to look into promotion and hiring matters.

The acting VC also agreed that marriage grant will be given to every staffer after every four months.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 30^th, 2015.