Out on streets: University students boycott classes, protest

Claim BZU is not issuing them degrees

DERA GHAZI KHAN:

Students of Bahuddin Zakaria University (BZU) Dera Ghazi Khan sub-campus boycotted their classes and staged a protest demonstration on Thursday.

They protested against being issued degrees by the Ghazi University, instead of the BZU, as, they said, they had been promised.

They took out a rally to the commissioner’s office and staged a sit-in there. They also chanted slogans against the university administration.

Adnan Younis, one of the protesting students, said that the Ghazi University was set up on June 19, 2014. “The BZU’s sub-campus was then merged with the Ghazi University. However, it has not been recognised by the Higher Education Commission yet,” he said.



Another student, Ibrahim Chandia, said that they had taken and passed most of their semester examinations from the BZU. “We were registered with the BZU and should be issued BZU degrees,” he said.

Ali Gohar, another student, said that it had only been three months since the establishment of the Ghazi University.

“How can the Ghazi University now issue four-year degrees? These degrees will have no value with potential employers,” he said.

The students demanded that their remaining classes should be arranged by the BZU.

A delegation of the protesting students then met Dera Ghazi Khan Commissioner Saqib Aziz, who is also the vice chancellor of the Ghazi University. Aziz assured them that their concerns would be addressed. The students then dispersed.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 17^th, 2014.