GILGIT, Nov 4: Over 400 protesting students of the two newly- established degree colleges clashed with the police here on Monday for resisting to vacate the Karakuram International University premises.

The students were demanding transport, furniture and other equipment for their new buildings, which had been merged with the KIU after the upgradation of Gilgit Postgraduate College.

The students were given Monday’s deadline to vacate the premises of the Karakuram International University.

The protesting students said that they had been removed from the KIU premises without giving them transport and other facilities as their new colleges were situated in distant areas for which public transport was not available.

The students argued that there was no mention of the merger of the movable assets of the defunct postgraduate college with the KIU in the original PC-1 prepared for establishment of the KIU.

They said the KIU administration refused to accept their demands which provoked them to agitate.

The Northern Areas administration had recently set up two degree colleges in Gilgit in lieu of the defunct postgraduate college in October to persuade college teachers end their week- long agitations against the KIU, the sources said.

“But the classroom teaching remained virtually suspended for two months as the deadlock between the KIU officials and college teachers melted down in November,” the sources added.

The sources said that majority of the students was reluctant to move to the new premises and wished to stay on the KIU premises.

Sources said that police resorted to tear gas and baton charge and at least five student leaders were arrested under maintenance of public order.

The sources said that after dispersing from the KIU premises, the students marched towards NAs chief secretary office to press for their demands.

They called off their agitation after Chief Secretary Sheikh Ghazanfar Hussain assured them of resolving their problems.