KOHAT: Hundreds of students of the Kohat University of Science and Technology (KUST) vacated hostels voluntarily on the call of agitating activists of Kohat Students Federation on Thursday.

Over 80 per cent girls have also left their hostels while few boys are still present in their rooms in the hope that the strike, which entered into fifth day on Thursday, would end and the suspended examinations would start soon.

The striking students extended their protest till Monday, as Amjid Khan Afridi, adviser to the chief minister, who was playing the role of mediator between the students and the acting vice-chancellor did not turn up at 10:00am as promised. Mr Afridi called the federation’s president Nadeem Saifullah that he was in Peshawar due to some engagements.

The teachers and other staff not being allowed by the protesting students to enter the university had to sit in the scorching heat outside whereas the students were provided tents.

The students had boycotted examinations and also held protests several times in the past for the start of summer semester in the university, which was being denied to them. They demanded that the KUST administration should accept their demands, also including provision of transport facility, immediately because their precious time was being wasted. They also asked the administration to announce a fresh schedule for the examinations.

ALLEGED TERRORIST KILLED: The police gunned down an alleged terrorist involved in attacks on security forces and taking bhatta from businessmen in an encounter in Shadikhel village here on Thursday.

Officials said that Bilitang police received a report that the alleged terrorist, Wali Mohammad, was present in Shadikhel area. They said that a special team soon reached the area and asked the militant, hiding inside a house, to surrender, but he instead started firing at the police party which was retaliated. In the ensuing encounter the alleged terrorist was killed. The officials said that one Kalashnikov and cartridges were also recovered from the house.

Published in Dawn, May 8th, 2015

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