Education trumps terror: Almost a month after blast women varsity reopens

The SBK university was closed after a deadly suicide attack on a bus carrying university students on June 15.

QUETTA: Sardar Bhadur Khan Women (SBK) University in Quetta, whose students were killed in a suicide bomb attack last month, reopened for normal academic activities on Wednesday after almost 25 days of closure.

The university was closed after a deadly suicide attack on the bus carrying university students on June 15, which killed at least 14 students and injured many others.

As varsity reopened its doors, students staged a demonstration inside the university venting out their anger against the attack on their fellow pupils. Students chanted slogans against the former Vice Chancellor Sultana Baloch and the university administration. The students were holding placards and banners condemning the attack on the innocent students.

The students demanded a transparent inquiry into the incident and also against the university administration for the alleged negligence of security.

Bhaktawar Shafqat, a fourth semester student of the Commerce Department told The Express Tribune that they were still upset as they lost over 14 students in the suicide attack. “I was close to the blast site and saw everything with my eyes, I can’t forget the incident.”

She added that they would not allow anyone to close the Women University and will face all the challenges.

Ruksana Jabeen, the Vice Chancellor of Sardar Bhadur Khan Women University told the media said that the police, FC and Balochistan Constabulary are now providing security to the university.

Jabeen added that the security measures have been beefed up and student were only allowed to enter the campus after their ID cards were checked. Further, police officers will now be deputed on every bus of the university to provide security to the students. Female police officers will also be deployed in the university for security, she added.