KOHAT: Student leaders of the Kohat University of Science and Technology (Kust) on Thursday demanded of the government to lift ban on student unions, which was imposed in 1982, so that they could sort out their problems and maintain democratic atmosphere at grassroots level.

They made the demand while speaking at the study circle organised by the Body of Literacy Development Pakistan, University of Peshawar.

They said that with the mushroom growth of private educational institutions the students had to pay millions of rupees as fee to avail of transport, better education, food at hostels, which were denied at the public sector institutions.

Pakhtun Students Federation secretary general Malik Hasnain, Peoples Students Federation president Syed Ziauddin, Islami Jamiat Tulba representative Taqwimul Haq and ISO divisional president Peshawar Mohammad Saqlain Mehdi expressed their views at the study circle held on the lawns of Chemistry Department.

They criticised the double standards of the government by allowing functioning of unions of teachers, bankers, engineers, doctors, paramedics and businessmen while not allowing the student unions to function.

ARRESTED: Acting on the intelligence information the Kohat police have arrested the alleged leader of a robbers’ gang that had looted Rs1.5 million from a bank in KDA town here in December last year.

DSP headquarters Ijaz Khan along with KDA town SHO Saifullah Khan told mediapersons here on Thursday that during an operation on Shindand road they arrested the gang leader, Chaman Khan, who had been declared as proclaimed offender after the Dec 8 robbery in KDA town.

Five other accused, who revealed name of Chaman Khan, had already been arrested and they belonged to Jarma, Orakzai and Paya Jawaki. The police had recovered Rs275,000 from them, the DSP said.

The main accused had been nominated in the FIR. The officials said all the six accused had served jail terms before.

Published in Dawn, February 12th, 2021