KARACHI: SMC students’ hunger strike enters third day
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, June 18: While one of their fellows was rushed to hospital, the hunger strike by protesting Sindh Medical College students entered its third day on Wednesday.
On Wednesday one of the students, M Fahad, whose condition had deteriorated on Tuesday, was finally admitted to the JPMC for treatment.
“He is recovering at the hospital and will join us again,” said a students at the protest camp set up outside the Karachi Press Club.
In the meantime, one female student was also put on a drip at the camp as her health condition started worsening on Wednesday. She fainted due to fasting and hot weather
The students, determined to continue their hunger strike, were visited by different social and human right activists. Two members of the provincial assembly, belonging to the PPP and the Khidmat group also met the students at the camp during the day. They were told by the student that despite having made a commitment the chief minister was failing to take remedial measures in their case.
According to the students at the camp, the visiting legislators had promised to raise the issue pertaining to regularization of their admissions to the SMC at the assembly forum soon. Over 50 students have been observing the hunger strike since Monday afternoon.
In another development, a four-member delegation of the affected SMC students left for Islamabad to have meetings with a couple of federal ministers. The protesting students are of the view that the provincial authorities are sympathetic to them, but some groups of professionals are creating hindrances.
The students have reiterated that the act of challenging their admissions after a lapse of 3-5 years was highly uncalled for and aimed to cause physical and mental torture to students and their family members.
