September 18, 2008	Thursday	Ramazan 17, 1429

MIRPURKHAS, Sept 17: Students of a private medical institution, Mohammed Medical College, blocked the Hyderabad-Mirpurkhas road by burning tyres and observed a sit-in outside the press club on Wednesday in protest against what they called the administration’s indifference towards the students who attempted suicide a day ago after having learnt they had been declared failed in exams.

The blockade led to suspension of traffic on the road but police soon got the road cleared after negotiations with the protesters.

Protesters later reached the press club where they staged a sit-in and also burnt tyres on the road.

PPP MPA Shamim Ara Panhwar arrived there and assured the protesters that she would approach the chief minister to get their problems solved. Later in the day, Mirpurkhas DCO convened a meeting to discuss the students problems. The meeting was attended by MPA Shamim Ara Panhwar, Ghulam Murtaza Chachar, Javed Shaikh and Civil Surgeon Dr Roshan Ali Bhatti.

The students’ representatives told the meeting that the college administration deliberately failed the students on one or the other pretext despite the fact that the students were paying heavy fees.

The meeting set up an inquiry committee comprising EDO of revenue Ali Ahmed Baloch, EDO of health Khadim Hussain Lakhair and Civil Surgeon Dr Roshan Ali Bhatti, which would submit a report within 15 days to the DCO.

Dr Bhatti told the meeting that the inquiry committee would thoroughly probe the college affairs, scrutinise its system of approval of medical seats and fees structure etc.

The students were angered at the college administration’s indifference towards an incident in which three of their fellow students attempted to commit suicide after having learnt that they had been declared failed in examination.

PROTEST: Activists of Sindh People’s Students Federation (SPSF) district Mirpurkhas observed token hunger strike at Post office chowk here on Wednesday, to protest against the PPP district president Mirpurkhas Haji Noor Hassan Chandio for ignoring SPSF workers.