Campus unrest: Students call off strike after VC promises to address grievances

FIR registered against Prof Javed Ashraf for allegedly beating, threatening to kill TV reporter

ISLAMABAD: Students of Quaid-i-Azam University on Wednesday called off their strike after the vice-chancellor of the institution promised to address their grievances.

The secretariat assistant commissioner acted as an interlocutor between the students and the vice chancellor for resolution of the issue of fee hike, among others.

The university remained shut for the second day in a row on Wednesday, owing to the student protest.

Earlier, a number of students and faculty members failed to enter the university as vehicles were not allowed to leave or enter the premises by the protesting students.

The protest began on Tuesday, when hundreds of students blocked the campus in protest against fee hike, poor hostel accommodation, closure of various programmes and departments, and certain other decisions taken by the vice-chancellor.

The Secretariat Assistant Commissioner, Waqas Rashid negotiated an understanding at the vice-chancellor’s office where a meeting was held with student representatives.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Javed Ashraf told The Express Tribune that the students were unaware of certain decisions that were already on the cards.

“The fee of students in first semester of BS programmes will not be increased till the end of their four year programme, and decision concerning any increase for new students will be decided later,” he said.

Ashraf said that two new buses would be purchased from the endowment fund within next one month.

Ashraf further remarked that a PC-I of Rs 2.8 billion was likely to be approved by the Higher Education Commission for the construction of new buildings and purchase of eight buses.

The assistant commissioner said the dialogue was successful and he had told the students that they could contact him in case their demands were not met.

FIR against VC

Meanwhile, the Secretariat Police Station registered a case against the vice-chancellor and other staff for allegedly beating up and threatening reporter of a private TV channel during coverage of the protest.

The case was registered on the complaint of Syed Qamar Zaidi, a reporter of a private TV channel.

The VC was booked under sections 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees), 146 (rioting) and 147 (punishment for rioting).

Published in The Express Tribune, December 24^th, 2015.