FAISALABAD: Dozens of students of the University of Agricultural Faisalabad staged a protest demonstration on Monday against the administration for launching the doctor of pharmacy degree (Pharm-D) without seeking approval from the Pharmacy Council.

Carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans in favour of their demands, the students started rally from their department which culminated at the main gate of the university where the agitators also staged a sit-in and chanted slogans against acting vice chancellor Dr Iqbal Zafar and other officials.

The students said they had been paying hefty fees to the university but did not know about the fate of their degree. They said the administration seemed to be least interested in accreditation whereas the pioneer batch would pass out of the institute after one month or so.

They said time and again the university officials had been requested to resolve the issue but to no avail.

The university had launched the Pharm-D degree in 2013 without seeking approval from the council. Recently, the council visited the university thrice in connection with the approval of the degree, however, the university administration failed to fulfil the

requirements of the council mandatory for accreditation.Sources said former VC Dr Iqrar Ahmed had launched the Pharm-D degree without approval. They said off and on the council officials had dispatched letters to Dr Ahmed with a direction to do away with the shortcomings, but all in vain.

They said Dr Ahmed had been under the impression that the university was an autonomous body and did not require any kind of affiliation with the council. However, his perception proved wrong as there was no provision of launching the Pharm-D degree without the no objection certificate of the council.

Dr Ahmed had also launched the intermediate pre-agriculture programme in 2009 without getting approval from the Faisalabad Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education. The issue of pre-agriculture certificate caused a plethora of problems for the students as scores of them did not get the scholarship even after passing the exam. The institutes refused the students jobs categorically stating that their certificates are uncognised.

The students had staged demonstrations to press the authorities concerned for approval of the intermediate degree.

The university administration said efforts were being made for the approval of the Pharm-D degree and the issue would be resolved soon. Besides, the issue of intermediate degree has almost resolved.

Published in Dawn, April 24th, 2018