MURREE: The Murree chapters of various political parties said at a meeting held by the Murree Bar Association that they would begin a movement against the abolition of the status of Murree’s two degree colleges.

They said that at the conference that they would not allow the status of the colleges to be terminated under any circumstances, adding that a writ petition would be filed in court so that the area’s sole boys’ and girls’ colleges are not merged to form Kohsar University.

The meeting participants said that a strategy to retract the merger of the colleges is being devised to proceed with the admission of more than 450 students.

More than 400 students from Murree were refused admission into the two colleges after they were merged to form Kohsar University.

This has led to student protests for the last month, and the university administration’s decision to lodge an application for an FIR against the protesting students has led to more resentment among students.

Since the government is switching over from BA and BSc programmes to a BS programme, colleges where classes in the BS programme have begun are offering an initial associate degree programme (ADP). After two years in ADP, students can obtain a graduate degree or enrol in a fifth semester for the BS programme.

However, Murree’s colleges have not begun offering APD after being merged to form the university, and students in the area have been deprived of education in both the available programmes.

Speakers at the conference included Zulfiqar Amin, , PPP Murree president Mohammad Nazir Abbasi, Jamiat Ulemia-i-Islam Murree emir Qari Saifullah Saifi, Raja Abdul Rehman from the Murree Bar, Farhan Noor Abbasi, Dr Kamran Satti, Asif Shafiq Satti, Masood Butt, Asad Iqbal Abbasi, Raja Atiq Sarwar, Hafiz Usman Abbasi, Raja Daftar Abbasi from the PML-N, and others.

The speakers criticised the BS programme and said that with a fee of Rs350,000, many people would not be able to afford to programme.

They said middle class parents and students have been put in a difficult position by the abolition of colleges catering to the educational requirements of the poor and middle classes.

Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2020