ISLAMABAD: The engineering students of the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology continued their protest on the fifth consecutive day against the university administration’s failure to get accreditation from the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC).

Scores of students on Monday blocked the main road in front of the campus for an hour, demanding immediate steps for the accreditation.

The university has 450 engineering students who think that their future is at stake as the accreditation with the PEC is awaited for the 2011-15 batch.

It may be noted that in the recent past, the employees of the university staged a number of protests against the university administration for its alleged failure to run the affairs of the institution in a transparent manner. However, the charge was always rejected by the university administration.

450 students of 2011-15 batch say their future is at stake as the accreditation with the PEC is yet to be done

The protesting students chanted slogans against Vice Chancellor Dr Zafar Altaf and other senior faculty members. “Our future is hanging in the balance. We paid a huge fee but the university has not got the PEC accreditation. It means we have no future,” said Mohammad Azeem, a student of the 7th semester.

Zahid Fazal of the third semester said the department lacked proper lab equipment as well as other facilities that were required for the PEC affiliation. “Currently, there is no chance that our university will get the accreditation,” he said.

The protesting students said an inspection was carried out by the PEC in 2010. At that time, the PEC had directed the university to improve its standard. However, the students said since then the university never took any step in this regard.

Hamid Sultan, another student, later told Dawn that VC Altaf had a meeting with the protesting students and assured them that he would take all the required steps within two weeks. “The VC assured us that after completing all the arrangements, he would write to the PEC for a visit. Tomorrow, after taking consent from all the students, we will decide our future course of action,” he said.

Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play