October 7, 2002	Monday	Rajab 29, 1423

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SWABI, Oct 6: The protest against absence of a permanent, full-time rector at the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology, Topi, and a host of other issues, has led to the suspension of three students, besides affecting academic environment.

Sources in the GIK Institute told Dawn here on Sunday that about one month ago students had staged a sit-in in front of the Agha Hassan Abedi Auditorium, demanding that a full-time rector should be appointed and the powers of the dean of Faculty of Electronic Engineering, Dr M. M. Mansoor Ahmad, should be curtailed.

Other demands included removal of the controller of examination, pro-rector and some teaching staff who, according to students, had failed to teach the course contents properly, stoppage of frequent changes and modifications in courses and semesters, besides other demands, etc.

Since its establishment in October 1993, this was the second time that the students of the GIK Institute had protested against the teaching staff and other problems. However, unlike the 1989/1999 protests, this time the institute’s management handled the situation tactfully.

The academic environment is still tense and the students are looking for an opportunity to stage a strike, the sources said.

The sources said initially the GIK Institute’s administration was quite perturbed over the students protest. Later, they devised a strategy under which students were summoned to senior teachers’ offices and warned of dire consequences in case they did not call off their strike and failed to disclose names of their leaders.

The sources said the management then set up an inquiry committee which found three third-year students guilty of provoking their colleagues and leading the strike. These students — Taimur Shah, Jebran and Farhan — were suspended and told to go home.

The sources said the institute administration was intentionally delaying a decision about the fate of these students.

The students, the sources said, recalled that the renowned scientist, Dr A.Q. Khan, who was the project director of the GIK Institute, had asked the government to stop financial assistance to the institute till such a time that a thorough re-organization had been carried out, including the appointment of a full-time and well-qualified rector instead of the present reactor who is a political figure.

Reacting to the demand of Dr Khan, the sources said, the management of the GIK Institute removed Dr Khan’s portraits from all important places and he was no longer on the board of governors of the institute.