PESHAWAR/HARIPUR: Students of the University of Peshawar, the University of Haripur and the CECOS private varsity held protest demonstrations on Monday against the decision to hold on-campus examinations, and asked for online tests as they hadn’t taken physical classes due to the Covid-19-induced lockdown.

Students of the postgraduate classes gathered near the hall of the Peshawar University Teachers’ Association and marched up to the main gate to record their protest.

The police had already closed the main gate and the protesting studenwts held a protest meeting near the Khyber Medical College.

The protesters said the university had been shut since the advent of Covid-19, and they attended classes online, so there was no justification for holding physical examinations. They vowed to resist the decision. Students also feared that holding of physical examinations could lead to spread of the virus.

Also, students of CECOS protested against the administration to conduct the on-campus examinations and asked for rescinding the decision.

Meanwhile, the students of different departments of the University of Haripur gathered outside the main gate carrying placards and chanting slogans in favour of their demands. They demanded that as the university had arranged online lectures for them during the coronavirus lockdown it should permit them to attempt questions online.

The protesting students also disallowed university’s buses to move for some time.

Later, DSP headquarters Amjad Hussain intervened and held negotiations with the university administration and protesting students. He said after negotiations the university administration agreed that the students would be at liberty to take the final examinations either physically or online.

Later, the protesting students called off their strike.

Published in Dawn, January 26th, 2021