12 April 2005	Tuesday	02 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1426

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ISLAMABAD, April 11: The students of Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF) Girls College in F-8 on Monday staged a demonstration against former principal of the college for giving them admission in university classes without having affiliation with any institution of higher education. The students, who were chanting slogans against the ex- principal Rabia Noor, pelted the college building and private cars with stones.

Women police, Margalla police and Rescue 15 personnel rushed to the scene and resorted to baton-charge to disperse the students.

According to a senior official of the OPF, some 180 students were given admission to university classes by the ex-management of the college in 2002.

He said the ex-management had signed a memorandum of understanding with Iqra University in 2002, but due to some technical reasons, the university cancelled the MoU.

However, the former principal of the college continued giving admission to the students by claiming that the OPF college itself had become a degree-awarding institute.

The official said the present management of the collage would sign a fresh MoU with the Iqra University to save the future of the students.

He said the vice-chancellor of the university, Hunaid Lakhani, was due in Islamabad from Karachi to sign the MoU with the OPF.

“We are serious about their future, but the students should not take the law in their hands by damaging the OPF and private property,” he said.

The students also demanded the arrest of the former college principal whose name has already been put on the Exit Control List.

The official said Minister of State for Overseas Pakistanis Tariq Azeem would hold a press conference on Tuesday to explain the OPF efforts to save the future of the students.