Seven students, two police injured as protest turns violent at Peshawar varsity
Students protest against fee hike and corruption; university administration rejects claims
Baton-charge against student protestors at Peshawar University. PHOTO:EXPRESS
PESHAWAR:
Seven students of the Peshawar University and two police personnel were injured while 28 students were arrested in protests against the mounting fee charged by the university administration over a period of ten years.
According to the student organisations, the university administration has been charging admission, examination and hostel charges which have increased to over 400 per cent in the last decade.
The university administration, on the other hand, rejected the claims of fee increase and corruption charges against the administration.
Students, faculty concerned over felling of hundreds of trees at Peshawar varsity
Similar protests occurred in 2017 against a 10 per cent increase in admission fee. Students boycotted their classes and staged a sit-in outside the vice-chancellor's office.
The protest proved an opportunity to push for other demands too. The students were demanding hostel accommodation, scholarships and inquiry into irregularities in funds the government provides for providing various facilities to the students.
Today's protest, called by the united student’s alliance of all political parties and regional students’ organisation, turned violent as the university administration imposed Section 144 and used force to vacate the administration block, where the students were protesting.
"The university administration has increased the hostel fee from eight thousand a year to the 36 thousand rupee while charging over one lac for admission fee in the department of pharmacy while the hostel fee not included to this," Riaz Khan, a student leader said while speaking to The Express Tribune.
“We staged a peaceful protest outside the administration block for our rights, but the university administration imposed Section 144 and used force against the peaceful students. We reject the new fee structure which keeps the poor students from completing their education,” Asfandyar Khan, another student leader said.
Over 250 detained as UoP ‘cleans out’ hostels
The university administration imposed Section 144 to disperse students and used heavy force against them, resulting in injuries to at least seven students and also causes minor injuries to many more, they added.
The student wing of Pukhtun Students Federation, Peoples Students Federation, Islami Jamiat Talba and JUI-F’s student wing along with various other regional parties staged the protest and chanted slogans against the newly imposed fee structure.
University administration’s perspective
Ali Imran Bangash, the media officer of the university termed the student’s plea as 'superficial' and added that increasing the fee by 10 per cent every year was completely in accordance with the varsity’s rules.
“We launched a cleanup operation to vacate the hostel rooms from student federations’ office-bearers who were in hundreds … today’s protest was a reaction of that, but we will never bow to pressure tactics,” Bangash added.
Political parties’ view
All political parties condemned the use of force against the peaceful protes, and demand that the university administration should take back their anti-students decisions.
University of Peshawar bars staff from speaking with media
Awami National Party’s (ANP) veteran leader Mian Iftikhar Hussain termed the use of force as the reminder of the martial law era. He said the pervious democratic government had tolerated the PTI protest for 120 days, while the so-called democratic force hasn’t digested the peaceful sitting of students unions.
The PPP, QWP, JI and JUI-F leadership expressed concerned over the use of force and the fee hike.
Government’s stance
PTI’s provincial government spokesperson Shaukat Yousafzai also showed displeasure over the use of force by the university administration. However, added that today’s use of agitation was due to a clean-up operation in the university hostels.
The university syndicate has not increased the fee for over two years, and the university administration knew the procedure on how to deal with the affairs of the campus, Yousafzai added.
“Over 400 rooms were occupied by the outsiders and student leaders of different political parties. We would like to create an educational environment in the university,” said the PTI’s provincial spokesperson.
Seven students of the Peshawar University and two police personnel were injured while 28 students were arrested in protests against the mounting fee charged by the university administration over a period of ten years.
According to the student organisations, the university administration has been charging admission, examination and hostel charges which have increased to over 400 per cent in the last decade.
The university administration, on the other hand, rejected the claims of fee increase and corruption charges against the administration.
Students, faculty concerned over felling of hundreds of trees at Peshawar varsity
Similar protests occurred in 2017 against a 10 per cent increase in admission fee. Students boycotted their classes and staged a sit-in outside the vice-chancellor's office.
The protest proved an opportunity to push for other demands too. The students were demanding hostel accommodation, scholarships and inquiry into irregularities in funds the government provides for providing various facilities to the students.
Today's protest, called by the united student’s alliance of all political parties and regional students’ organisation, turned violent as the university administration imposed Section 144 and used force to vacate the administration block, where the students were protesting.
"The university administration has increased the hostel fee from eight thousand a year to the 36 thousand rupee while charging over one lac for admission fee in the department of pharmacy while the hostel fee not included to this," Riaz Khan, a student leader said while speaking to The Express Tribune.
“We staged a peaceful protest outside the administration block for our rights, but the university administration imposed Section 144 and used force against the peaceful students. We reject the new fee structure which keeps the poor students from completing their education,” Asfandyar Khan, another student leader said.
Over 250 detained as UoP ‘cleans out’ hostels
The university administration imposed Section 144 to disperse students and used heavy force against them, resulting in injuries to at least seven students and also causes minor injuries to many more, they added.
The student wing of Pukhtun Students Federation, Peoples Students Federation, Islami Jamiat Talba and JUI-F’s student wing along with various other regional parties staged the protest and chanted slogans against the newly imposed fee structure.
University administration’s perspective
Ali Imran Bangash, the media officer of the university termed the student’s plea as 'superficial' and added that increasing the fee by 10 per cent every year was completely in accordance with the varsity’s rules.
“We launched a cleanup operation to vacate the hostel rooms from student federations’ office-bearers who were in hundreds … today’s protest was a reaction of that, but we will never bow to pressure tactics,” Bangash added.
Political parties’ view
All political parties condemned the use of force against the peaceful protes, and demand that the university administration should take back their anti-students decisions.
University of Peshawar bars staff from speaking with media
Awami National Party’s (ANP) veteran leader Mian Iftikhar Hussain termed the use of force as the reminder of the martial law era. He said the pervious democratic government had tolerated the PTI protest for 120 days, while the so-called democratic force hasn’t digested the peaceful sitting of students unions.
The PPP, QWP, JI and JUI-F leadership expressed concerned over the use of force and the fee hike.
Government’s stance
PTI’s provincial government spokesperson Shaukat Yousafzai also showed displeasure over the use of force by the university administration. However, added that today’s use of agitation was due to a clean-up operation in the university hostels.
The university syndicate has not increased the fee for over two years, and the university administration knew the procedure on how to deal with the affairs of the campus, Yousafzai added.
“Over 400 rooms were occupied by the outsiders and student leaders of different political parties. We would like to create an educational environment in the university,” said the PTI’s provincial spokesperson.