LAHORE: MNA Mohsin Dawar on Saturday demanded from the government to ensure provision of scholarships to the students of former Fata in Punjab educational institutes.
He was addressing a press conference at Lahore Press Club while Pashtun Council chairman Ijaz Khan, Muzamil Khan and Abdullah Nangyal were also present.
Mr Dawar was visiting the city to show solidarity with the students of ex-Fata who were protesting and holding a sit-in outside the Governor House for the last five days. He also visited the sit-in camp of the students on The Mall to show solidarity. The students were protesting against the vice chancellor of Islamia University Bahawalpur Athar Mehboob for not implementing a quota announced by the Punjab government for the students of ex-FATA.
Mr Dawar said that as Fata was being merged with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under the 25th constitutional amendment, it was recommended by the committee to continue different quotas of ex-FATA including provision of educational facilities in Punjab until the area did not stand on its feet to compete rest of the country.
He said IUB VC Mr Mehboob was violating the orders of the government and was not giving admission to the students and had also started charging fee from students who already availed the scholarships. He demanded from the government to take measures and ensure the provision of scholarships to the students in IUB.
Pakhtun Council Chairman Ijaz Khan said that the students were holding sit-in and protests from last month earlier in Bahawalpur and now in Lahore outside the Governor House and no one from the government and opposition members approached them to solve their problem. He said they were being mistreated in the province by the authorities but they wanted to complete their education. “We belong to FATA and under Coronavirus SOPs they were kicked out of the hostels and did not have any place to live,” he said.
He said they did not have internet facilities in Fata and they could not continue their online classes and they should be allowed to live in the hostels of the university so that they could use the internet and attend online classes. He said these students were also being charged fee and the government should direct the IUB VC to stop charging fee from the students and also they should not be
harassed by the security guards of the university.
Meanwhile, Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar has taken the notice and sought reply from IUB administration.
Published in Dawn, March 21st, 2021
