PESHAWAR, Dec 16: Twenty-two students of the Islamia College, University of Peshwar, who were protesting against the college administration, were arrested here on Thursday by the campus police.
This was the third day of students' protest during which they marched through the campus, chanting slogans against the administration. The protesters, under the umbrella of Islamian Students Alliance, are demanding that the administration withdraw its hostel policy due to which they say food charges have been increased and long tours cancelled.
The college administration had lodged FIR against 30 students who had held protest demos during the last two days. The students demanded that the administration withdraw the cases.
The Islami Jamiat Tulaba, which is spearheading the protest, said in a statement on Thursday that demos would continue to be held till the administration withdrew its new hostel policy. The IJT also demanded dismissal of the provost.
It protested against the treatment meted out to students by the police, the press release said. Enraged students shouted slogans against the administration, broke windowpanes and hurled stones at the campus police.
In response, the police first tried to stop students but failed to control them. It then fired several teargas shells and baton charged the protesters to disperse them.
"We had to use teargas to disperse the angry students but we did not baton charge them," said one policeman. The police arrested 22 students who were creating disturbance. The students had boycotted the classes for third consecutive day. When contacted, the administration said it was ready to listen to the reasonable demands of students.
