May 28, 2008	Wednesday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 22, 1429

FAISALABAD, May 27: Despite closure of the National Textile University twice, the situation is still tense in the academia that forced the administration to extend the closure period to another fortnight.

Sources told Dawn on Monday that the decision to close the university till June 6 had been taken following strict stance of students on `certain issues.’ Notices had been pasted for information to the students and the staff members as well.

Students came to know about closure of the university once more when they reached campus for study.

The university was due to resume its educational activities on May 26 after closure of a fortnight.

The suspension of academic activities upset students further and some of them had a meeting with vice-chancellor Masood Biyabani. A source privy to the meeting quoted the VC as saying that the administration had been doing its level best to resolve the issues. He said the closure of the university was necessary in this regard.

A member of the students’ team that met the VC said: “We have told Mr Biyabani that your resignation is the sole solution to the issues.” However, the VC was quoted as saying that students had nothing to do with his resignation.

The VC said: “The board of governors (BoG) will decide my fate and the university matters.”

As meeting between the VC and students remained inconclusive, sources said students gathered on the campus and chanted slogans against the vice-chancellor and demanded his ouster.

The NTU students have been demanding university's accreditation with the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC), disbandment of the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association, an organising body of the NTU, and resignation of the vice-chancellor.

A faculty member of the NTU requesting anonymity said some teachers had been using the students for their own `vested interests.’

Substantiating his claims, he said the infuriated students had entered the vice-chancellor's office a couple of days ago and 'pressurised' him to have a dialogue with them for solution to their problems. Similarly, he said the students created a fuss when a fact-finding committee of the BoGs visited the NTU a few days back.

Another source said the university administration was again considering seeking the help of students' parents to diffuse the situation. He said earlier the administration had used this method last month and requested parents through letters to prevent their children from taking part in any sort of protest.

An office-bearer of the Students Action Committee, Hassan, said frustration among students was increasing because of the administration's inability to resolve the longstanding issues of the academia.

“The resignation of the VC is the only solution.”

He pledged that students would continue their protest drive till acceptance of their demands.