Hostel for two: UPS students protest against UoP over construction of wall

PESHAWAR: University Public School (UPS) Peshawar has been closed for a week after students and teachers protested against the administration of University of Peshawar for constructing a wall inside UPS. The Express Tribune learnt on Monday the wall is part of a plan to build a hostel for students of University College for Boys inside UPS.

They also blocked Jamrud Road for vehicular traffic to express anger against the decision; a student was injured in the protest.



While speaking to The Express Tribune, a UPS official requesting anonymity said the UoP management took the decision to build a hostel in the premises of the UPS some three years back. He added at the time authorities directed the UPS principal to accommodate college students on the second floor of the hostel.

The official said the UoP management has now decided to vacate the UPS students’ hostel to accommodate an increasing number of college students and shift the college students to another place for the time being. The official said a new building would be constructed for UPS students for which the provincial government has approved Rs90 million.

He pointed out when students and staff learnt about the decision to relocate the UPS boys and construction of the wall, they protested and blocked Jamrud Road for traffic on Monday. They shouted slogans and demanded the authorities to take the decision back.

Meanwhile, a military convoy which was passing through the Jamrud Road resorted to aerial firing to disperse the protesters as several vehicles were stuck in the traffic jam. As a result of chaos, one student suffered injuries.

Blame game

UPS Principal Hafiz Farooq Ali said due to a lack of space in the college hostel, the authorities decided to construct a new hostel on the UPS premises. Ali said the school would never hand over the hostel to college students but they will be shifted to a new hostel after its construction.

Meanwhile, in order to resolve the matter, University of Peshawar registrar held meetings with UPS teaching staff and decided to close the school for one week. He announced the school will reopen on January 18.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 12^th, 2016.