KOHAT: The protesting students of Kohat University of Science and Technology (KUST) withdrew from their demand for the start of summer semester and ended strike after 36 days following acceptance of their other demands by the varsity administration.

The students had started their strike on May 4, 2015 with boycott of their examinations and they resumed it after the summer vacations last week.

The culmination of strike was made possible with the intervention of MPA Ziaullah Bangash who held talks with the administration and students to resolve the lingering matter. The solution was reached after marathon four-hour talks between the acting vice-chancellor and MPA.


The varsity admin accepts most of the students’ demands


Acting VC Fida Younis, who had rejected the demand for summer semester on day one of the strike, accepted the demands for provision of generators for the hostel, Wi-Fi facility, chairs, bus service and mess facility.

The day scholars alleged that they were cheated by the hostel students who had been giving the impression that they were observing strike for the summer semester.

A member of a student union said on condition of anonymity that they would not take part in any strike if the demands accepted by the acting VC were not implemented because the hostel students left the struggle halfway. He also asked about the future of six striking students whose two semesters were seized and FIRs registered against them.

When contacted, KUST PRO Zeeshan said that new schedule for the final semester examinations, which could not be held before summer vacations due to strike, would be announced on Monday (today). He clarified that the demand for start of summer semester was put up before the KUST academic council which rejected it with a majority vote.

Meanwhile, some students were expelled from the KUST and the unions were demanding their restoration. The appellate committee reduced ban on them to one semester from two and the fine from Rs10,000 to Rs5,000.

“The administration is waiting for the students to take their case at the appellate committee,” said Mr Zeeshan. He said that the bus service could not be started due to security reasons because it would have to cover the whole city for dropping the students.

Published in Dawn, August 3rd, 2015

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