FAISALABAD, Dec 1: Nine students, including two girls, of the Government College University Faisalabad suffered injuries owing to police baton-charge of the protesting students on Thursday. The students, who were protesting against the university management for asking them to appear in the combined examination for the postgraduate degrees despite passing all the four semesters, refused to allow traffic movement on the road.

They gathered in front of the main gate when the administration asked them to appear on Saturday (tomorrow) for an examination so that they could be issued master degrees. The students blocked traffic on the main Allama Iqbal Road in front of the institution by erecting barricades.

Banners and placards they had held were inscribed with slogans against the university administration. They claimed that there was no justification for asking the students of the postgraduate classes to appear for an examination after they had cleared four semesters.

Heavy police contingents rushed to the spot and encircled the students to avoid any untoward incident. Some of the police commandos were also deputed inside the university.

When contacted, vice-chancellor Muhammad Asif Iqbal Khan said the examination for the postgraduate classes would be conducted in the wake of a notification issued by the Higher Education Commission.

“We have no power even to extend the date of the examination.”