IIU hostelites protest steep utility bills

Protesting students chant slogans against administration and deny university officials access to the hostels.

ISLAMABAD: Over 1000 female students of International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) protested on Tuesday against the ‘exorbitant’ charges of utility bills in the university hostels.

The mce_marker Students said that the university administration had adopted an unreasonable policy to generate money. They alleged that the administration had started charging an extra Rs10,000 to Rs12,000 monthly for facilities like ironing and the refrigerator.

The students claimed that some university officials forcefully tried to enter female hostels, which further enraged them. The students demanded that the university administration suspend the hostel warden, as she was responsible for the entire affair.

IIUI Vice President Dr Parveen Qadir Agha said that all students had agreed to university rules and procedures written on the admission form.

She said it was clearly written in the admission form that the students would pay extra charges if they used electric appliances such as iron, fridge, microwave or AC.

Parveen said that the existing rules could not be changed overnight and that the matter would be put before the board of governors for consideration.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 6^th, 2010.