Increased fees, irregularities: UoP students continue protest

Operations SSP says parliamentary committee will hear both sides before giving its verdict


Our Correspondent October 17, 2018
University of Peshawar. PHOTO: FILE

PESHAWAR: Students of the University of Peshawar (UoP), unhappy over irregularities and a massive hike in admission fees, staged a protest outside the academic block of the varsity on Tuesday just weeks after a similar protest was charged down by baton-wielding policemen.

The students had gathered under the umbrella body of all political and regional student bodies in the varsity called the United Students Alliance (USA).

On October 4, students had staged a protest outside the academic block on a call of the USA against fee hikes and against the eviction of some students from the UoP’s hostel. The varsity administration could not address the students’ concerns. The students returned the following day when the varsity administration called the police which fired tear gas at the students and baton charged them injuring at least seven students and two policemen while 28 students were arrested.

The use of force was condemned by various political parties.

However, the provincial government claimed that it was not an issue of increasing fee structure rather some students, who had obtained their degrees and had been illegally occupying hostel rooms and were reluctant to vacate them.

The government added that after police started vacating the rooms forcefully, the students started protesting against the university administration.

Following severe criticism from different political parties and
civil society organization, the provincial government announced an inquiry into the incident since several students got injured after police baton-charged the protesting UoP students.

On Tuesday, Peshawar Operations SSP Javed Iqbal told the media that no one will be allowed to take the law into their hands and that anyone found guilty of violating the law will be dealt with accordingly.

He added that the varsity administration was not supposed to order a police baton-charge on the university students

“Parliamentary committee [formed to probe the matter] is above the university administration and the committee will give its verdict after it meets [hears version] of both the parties,” Iqbal told the media, adding that any sit-in by students will be unproductive.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 17th, 2018.

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