IIUI students threaten protests

Students at the International Islamic University in Islamabad (IIUI) on Friday threatened to stage street protests unless the varsity administration immediately reduces fees and builds a new hostel block. Students aligned with the Islami Jamiat-e-Talba (IJT), have launched a drive titled "Ab ki baar tulba sarkar" (This time student administration) to highlight the problems they face in the varsity.

Threatening protests, the students called on the varsity administration to immediately reduce the 15%- 25% increase in the fee for all new students. Further, they rejected a 100% increase in degree fees. Demanding that the increase in fees should be immediately withdrawn for enrolled students, they further demanded that the university management immediately fulfil the promise of building a new hostel block within the varsity premises.

Moreover, they demanded that the fees for the ongoing semester should be collected from September 21 instead of from July. Similarly, charges for staying in hostels commence from September 21, not July, and that such fees should be refunded. They also demanded that the state of hostels should be improved.

Pointing to the varsity's announced plans, the students demanded that a market should be established at earliest in the varsity while all cafes should be reopened immediately. They further demanded to improve the standard of food provided in the cafeteria while reducing the rates. For those students who have passed out, the students demanded that the process of obtaining clearances for their degrees should be digitised and made available online.

Moreover, they demanded that students should be allowed to select additional subjects because there was no summer break. Problems faced by students in the civil department should be resolved at the earliest and scholarships should be restored. The students also demanded that the varsity accept degrees from the civil and B.tech departments.

Furthermore, the Sector I-10 gate to the varsity campus should be opened for easier access. A demand was also put forward for extending timings for the library of IIUI. The students said that they will raise their concerns and demands at every forum.