ISLAMABAD, Jan 19: Students and staff of a textile university on Monday held a protest demonstration outside Parliament House demanding that their university be brought back under the control of federal government instead of All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA).

The students and staff, who had been on strike since December 1, 2003, said they had made several attempts to talk to higher authorities of the university, but all in vain.

They said the APTMA took over the management of the university in 1993 and increased the annual tuition fee from Rs3,250 to Rs40,000 without taking the Board of Governors into confidence.

Strong opposition by the federal government led to the withdrawal of the increase, however, the APTMA kept on increasing the fee, which led to strikes lasting for as long as four months, they added.

They said mismanagement and embezzlement of funds had brought the university development programmes to a standstill. Instead of arranging funds from its own sources, the APTMA decided to offer 125 seats on the payment of Rs256,000 per seat in academic year 2003-04 and that too without the approval of the BoG, they added.

A student said the pro-chancellor and rector of the university were mill owners, who had no knowledge, experience and qualification to manage university affairs.

"Sincerity and commitment are non-existent and the pro-chancellor and rector are running the university on their personal whims," the student added.

The protesters demanded redefining the role of pro- chancellor and rector, and removal of anomalies in the existing charter. They also called for appointing new members of the BoG and Executive Committee, ensuring appropriate representation of the government officials and faculty.