Dozens of students arrested as QAU reopens after 3-week hiatus

A group of Baloch students tried to stop varsity’s buses and staged a sit in

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad police rounded up dozens of protesting students at the Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU) after the varsity — which had been closed since October 4 — reopened on Monday.

Earlier today, a large number of students turned up at the campus following Sunday’s announcement by the university administration that the varsity will reopen after almost three weeks. However, a group of Baloch students tried to stop the university buses and staged a sit-in against the administration, faculty and the syndicate committee, sources told The Express Tribune.

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As the situation deteriorated the administration had to call police and over 40 students are said to have been taken into custody. Sources said several students were beaten up in the ensuing clashes with police personnel who reportedly raided the hostel in search of protesting students.



During a news conference on Sunday, Baloch students said they would continue their strike even though all other ethnic student councils —including the Sindhi, Punjabi, Pakhtun, Seraiki, and Baltistani — decided to call off their strikes after negotiations with the authorities.

As many as eight Baloch students were rusticated while two others were expelled by the university following armed clashes on the campus on May 20. The violent clash, between the Sindhi and Baloch students, had left several people injured and had prompted the varsity to call law-enforcement agencies to conduct an operation in the university’s hostels to purge it of violent elements.

Even though around 26 students (11 Baloch and 15 Sindhi students) were booked for their part in the violence, the authorities left it to the university’s discipline committee (UDC) to probe and take action against the students. The UDC subsequently penalised around 42 students.