HARIPUR: The residents of different localities of Ghazi tehsil on Monday blocked the road to the Tarbela Dam offices and residential colonies to protest against the dam administration for ‘ignoring’ the eligible candidates in jobs.

The protesters started marching from the Rizwan Shaheed Chowk and staged a sit-in at the Ghazi-Tarbela Dam checkpost, suspending vehicular traffic for about three hours.

Speaking on the occasion, the protest leader Irum Rasheed Khan accused the dam authorities of inducting over 35 persons in the water wing and powerhouse without following the prescribed procedure. She said hundreds of educated youth from the areas affected by the Tarbela Dam and Ghazi Brotha Power Project had applied for the jobs, but they were ignored. She accused the dam administration of taking bribes for offering jobs.

Ms Khan threatened that the people would continue protesting unless their demand to cancel the appointments was met. Heavy contingents of police in riot gear stood alert as the protesters continued the road blockade.

However, the protesters dispersed when the dam authorities announced cancellation of all the newly hired staff and assured of preferring the locals in all future employments.

STUDENTS PROTEST: Students of different departments of the University of Haripur and some affiliated colleges staged a protest demonstration on Monday demanding that examinations should be held online.

The protesting students pointed out that during the last two and half months the university portal remained down most of the time due to which they could not prepare the lectures.

They said since they attended their lectures virtually the administration should allow the students to take the midterm examinations commencing from January 25 online rather than physically.

The university administration held talks with the students and allayed their apprehensions regarding examinations, after which they dispersed, claimed varsity registrar Dr Shah Masood Khan.

He said the academic council had approved a policy under which the students were given choices in questions due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said the question papers would comprise of questions taken only from the covered course.

He made it clear that the examination schedule and method won’t change. He said some outsiders were involved in the protest.

Published in Dawn, January 19th, 2021