SUKKUR: The administration and vice chancellor of the Shah Abdul Latif University (Salu), Khairpur, have accepted most demands of agitating students — who had held some staff members hostage for several hours on June 2 and cut off electricity and water supply to the admin block — on the recommendation of the ‘dialogue committee’ constituted by the VC to help resolve the issue.

Speaking at a press conference in the varsity’s syndicate hall on Monday, Prof Dr Taj Mohammad Lashari, the convener of the committee and dean faculty of social sciences, along with other members, recalled the June 2 agitation and said that a few Salu students supported by a large number of outsiders had resorted to taking some staffers and employees hostage from 12 noon to 4pm and also cut off water and power supply to the admin block. He said the administration approached the Khairpur SSP, who assigned the City DSP, Abdullah Lakhiar, to hold negotiations with the agitating side and restore peace and normalcy on campus.

Prof Lashari said that the VC constituted a dialogue committee and he (Prof Lashari), as the head of the committee, held talks with the students’ leaders and made certain recommendations in order to facilitate peaceful holding of academic and other activities on campus for students coming here from nine districts of Sindh.

He said a notification with the approval of the VC had now been issued to being an end to students’ agitation Giving details of the notification, he said that the students’ accepted demands included release of Higher Education Commission’s cheques pertaining to the need-based scholarship which were pending since 2018; release of 210 remaining cheques in two phases — 105 cheques on June 20 and as many on Aug 20. The cancelled cheques of Ehsaas Scholarships would be revisited by a fact-finding committee constituted for the purpose, he added.

Prof Lashari said that students’ demand for the withdrawal of a hike in hostel allotment fee had been accepted and the additional Rs4,000 charged with the original Rs10,000 fee would be adjusted in the fresh allotment fee for the next academic year. He said the late fee for admission increased from Rs1,000 to Rs2,000 had also been withdrawn for the current year. The hike would be applicable from the next academic year, he added.

The other demands accepted under the notification are withdrawal of increase in the degree fee (Rs3,000); overcoming the shortage of books by the end of June; establishment of separate reading corners for male and female students at the central library; provision of nine new computers; installation of CCTV cameras on campus; deployment of female staff and police constables at girls’ hostels; revival of all-Pakistan tour for students and opening of additional counters for fee payment at the bank branch concerned.

Published in Dawn, June 15th, 2021