70 students arrested for defying Quaid-e-Azam University administration

Shakeel Qarar Published October 23, 2017

Quaid-e-Azam University students protest against administration on Monday.—DawnNews

QAU students standing inside a police van after being arrested during a protest. —Online

Cracking down on students protesting against the Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU) administration, Islamabad police arrested 70 students on Monday in a bid to reopen the university, which has remained closed for over two weeks due to a student-admin showdown.

Negotiations were said to have been successful last week, with the students agreeing to end the strike after the vice chancellor announced that the university's syndicate meetings would also include students.

However, the syndicate members on Friday disallowed students of the QAU Students Federation's Baloch Council from attending the meeting.

The syndicate also upheld the expulsion of students, which the protesters had been seeking to overturn, while conceding ground on the withdrawal of a 10 per cent increase in fees. It also accepted 12 other demands placed by the students.

The Baloch Council, which has been leading the protests, has since continued their agitation. The other five councils have called their strike off.

Acting on request of the university administration, Islamabad police took action to ensure the university was reopened and arrested those who continued to protest. Most of those arrested belong to the Baloch Council.

"It has been brought to my notice that some ex-students and outsiders accompanied by the present students started disrupting the normal functioning of the departments and harassed the faculty and staff," a letter from the QAU Vice Chancellor (VC) Javed Ashraf to the chief commissioner Islamabad police, sent on Monday, read.

He also requested reinforcements from police "to avert any untoward incident".

Baloch Council Chairman Kamran Baloch and other students allege that Baloch students are being victimised by the university administration. The council demands that expelled Baloch students, including the council chairman, be restored.

They allege the university’s Academic Staff Association pressured the vice chancellor and the syndicate not to restore the expelled students.

“We are facing injustice,” another representative, Shahdad Baloch, said, adding that their protest would continue.

According to the university, educational activities at the campus have resumed.

Security personnel are seen inside Quaid-i-Azam University during police crackdown against protesting students. —Online

Pakistan

Shakeel Qarar is an Islamabad-based reporter for Dawn News (TV), having been with the organization since 2012. His reporting covers crime, law and order, and security, with a specific focus on the Ministry of Interior and its subordinate agencies. He can be found on X at @Qarar009.

QAU faculty demands VC’s removal

Demo in solidarity with QAU students

Senate body adopts resolution for revival of student unions

Akbar

Oct 23, 2017 02:18pm

It is so sad that Police had beaten the students although they were protesting peacefully. Actually, it is a matter need to be further explored. Why does Administration cum ASA,QAU not want the restoration of the students? Why is ASA demanding the resignation of the VC? On the verge of this matter of expulsion of students Why ASA is manipulating the situation. (#QAU tolerated a #VC with "excellent incompetence" "policy of nepotism and bypassing merit" "lack of vision" for long. #ASA highlighted its demand for resignation of V C while the strike issue was on its peak and campaigned for it on all forums. Is it mere coincidence ? or they manipulated the situation into their own favor?)

Recommend 0

ahsan dar

Oct 23, 2017 02:25pm

its one of our international University the issues must be resolved very quickly.

Recommend 0

timetostopthis

Oct 23, 2017 02:33pm

There should be no politics on college campus. Politics and education cannot go hand in hand.

Recommend 0

Shuaib

Oct 23, 2017 02:36pm

People do not get expelled for no reason

Recommend 0

Syed Abdul Majeed Shah

Oct 23, 2017 02:39pm

Administration is like elders and VC is like father of student , he should not insist on expulsion provided student promise to follow discipline in future and carry studies calmly.

Recommend 0

Adil Jadoon

Oct 23, 2017 02:44pm

Most of them are not even university students. All such activities must br dealt with severely!

Recommend 0

Muskan

Oct 23, 2017 02:51pm

Proper action should be taken against those student who are spoiling the academic carrier of other students.

Recommend 0

Muskan

Oct 23, 2017 02:53pm

Proper action should be taken against them .they are spoiling carrier of other students

Recommend 0

lodhi

Oct 23, 2017 02:57pm

Thankyou democracy for bringing back polictics to pakistani universties. Its thier right to demand whatever as long as they have mandate of thier people.

Recommend 0

Rahul Thakur

Oct 23, 2017 03:36pm

Students are the easiest target for govts of whole South Asian Regions. Increase the fees, provide no facilities, and when students raise their voice; throttle them with expulsion.

Recommend 0

Hamza

Oct 23, 2017 04:12pm

Unviversity administration is sick. How could you let Police arrest your students? Why don't you listen to their demands to bring this matter to a resolution? Being a young Pakistani, I think protest is a solution to every problem in Pakistan. This government is not going to last for long.

Recommend 0

Falcon1

Oct 23, 2017 04:49pm

And these were the students at the very university? Some will never learn, no matter how good the institution or the teachers. These thugs need to spend some time in jail. Maybe they will learn some discipline and manners there.

Recommend 0

Salim Khan

Oct 23, 2017 05:28pm

Student must be stopped with whatever it takes from taking administration of the University in their hands. This appears to be a larger conspiracy. Students are for study not to administer.

Recommend 0

Son of Soil

Oct 23, 2017 05:33pm

A complete failure of the ministry of education, HEC and university administration. Such a serious crisis at one of the top educational higher education institute in the federal capital is showing that the government and all the relevant organs have no interest in the humans of Pakistan. Students should also behave responsibly because these goons are there only for looting public exchequer such strikes can cause huge loss to their career. The chairman HEC and VC QaU should resign for not handling the situation properly.

Recommend 0

Jamal Lodhi

Oct 23, 2017 06:19pm

It’s a pitty students involve themselves into cheap politics in universities, Quaid e Adam university is a world renowned university , and students by doing such acts are just ruining their careers and bringing a bad name to the university. Students should only focus towards their studies and getting good marks, only those students would involve into politics who are duffers or not hard workers and want to disrupt the education system in the university , all those who brought politics into university and not intellectualism should be expelled from the university so a lesson for the future unethical students .

Recommend 0

alba

Oct 23, 2017 08:48pm

@Akbar ..... Why would the university administrations want to register them as students again? They should be studying to become motorcycle repairmen, electricians or carpenters.

Recommend 0

Farooq khan

Oct 23, 2017 10:48pm

No body, no party, council or group be allowed to close university for a single day. No one be allowed to disturb the peace and academic activities for a minute.

Recommend 0

Ahmed

Oct 23, 2017 11:14pm

@Akbar, Mr, although you make a valid point of ASA trying to manipulate the situation in their favor which should be investigated by the higher authorities i.e. HEC and Education Ministry, but we need to also consider that these protests were not 'peaceful'. University has been closed for last weeks, by force by the students. How can these protests be considered peaceful if the best university in Pakistan remains shut for more than 3 weeks? Moreover, most of the students would sit in the protests were they for uphelding merit - which you mentioned - but unfortunately no protest has ever been launched demanding improving the sorry academic and research standards. The only demand that this 'violent' protest put forwarded was restoration of expelled students - who were expelled because of using guns last semester in an inter-ethnic conflict endangering lives of many students.

Recommend 0

Basit

Oct 23, 2017 11:37pm

The Councils in the QAU have been disruptive in the past too. Without jeopardizing the genuine grievances of the students, disruption of classes and academic activities must not be allowed.

Recommend 0

akbar

Oct 24, 2017 06:55am

Dr Javed Ashraf is a good man and has sacrificed lot to come and give it a try to improve condition of higher education. Please do not politicize or make him an scape goat for all the frustrations of various groups. University students are supposed to be mature adults . Would that they use their intellect and free will to move things in positive direction and not towards chaos and injustice. One day this VC will be gone but would it solve anything, no, the way things are being handled by protesting students it will only make future more violent and unpredictable.

Recommend 0

Zafarullah Baloch

Oct 24, 2017 06:47pm

Students are the easiest target for govts of whole South Asian Regions. Increase the fees, provide no facilities, and when students raise their voice; throttle them with expulsion.

Recommend 0