Up in arms: Students protest against cancellation of registration

Say KMU cannot transfer affiliation of institute to another varsity

PESHAWAR: The students of Institute of Paramedical Science (IPMS) in Hayatabad protested outside Khyber Medical University (KMU) on Wednesday against the alleged cancellation of college registration by the varsity.

Over 150 male and female students held placards and shouted slogans against KMU administration and demanded that it withdraw its decision.

The leaders of the protest told The Express Tribune IPMS was affiliated with KMU since 2012 and now the varsity has transferred IMPS registration to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Post Graduate Paramedical Institute (PGPI) Duran Pur Peshawar without consulting IPMS administration and its students.

An official of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto PIGP told The Express Tribune KMU and the health department had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU). As per the agreement, all Bachelor of Sciences students of medical technologies will be affiliated with Zulfikar Ali Bhutto PIGP.

Growing concerns

The students said this decision was not only taken at their expense since students will have to work out their tuition expenses but was also against the varsity’s education policy.

The implementation of the decision would mean IPMS students will be entitled to take classes at Zulfikar Ali Bhutto PGPI.  However, students of different batches of IPMS rejected the decision of the transferred affiliation during the term of their study and said the decision was above the law.

An official of the health department said the MoU was against the KMU Act, 2012 which stated the university was not authorised to transfer the right of affiliation to any other government or non-government department.

He also said the constitution of KMU had been compromised and the decision will ultimately affect the studies of students.

The other side

When contacted, KMU Registrar Fazal Muhammad denied that the varsity had cancelled registration of IPMS.

He said a few students had gathered outside the campus premises but authorities had managed to placate them.

“The university can never cancel or transfer registration of affiliated colleges and these students have been misguided by someone,” the registrar said. He added KMU administration had convinced the students and the matter had been resolved.

“KMU is the only medical university with which many colleges of the province were affiliated,” the registrar added.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 14^th, 2016.