CHARSADDA: The police used batons to disperse protesting students and also arrested 23 of them for besieging the entire staff and other students, including females, of the Bacha Khan University here on Wednesday.

Some students had blocked the main entrance gate to the varsity and besieged the staff and students from 1pm to 7pm. They were staging protest against imposition of fine by the varsity’s disciplinary committee for ‘fooling’ the newcomers of the pharmacy department.

The protesting students declared the fine illegal and demanded of the university administration to withdraw it. The police and university administration held several meetings with the protesting students and advised them to follow the suit.

A varsity spokesman said Vice-Chancellor Prof Bashir Ahmad Bharpur wanted to ensure that all affairs of the university were run in accordance with the rules and regulations, and that no one was allowed to engage in disorderly and unethical activities.

Despite the strict ban on fooling newcomers, some students harassed the students and also misbehaved and abused a teacher. The teacher referred the case to the university’s disciplinary committee, which imposed fine on them.

Prof Dr Khalid Saeed, the varsity registrar, got registered FIR against rioting students at the Sar Dheri police station.

Afterwards, DSP Sanobar Hussain and SHO Ashfaq along with a contingent of personnel reached the university and rescued the besieged staff and students by breaking locks of the gate and baton-charging the protestors. They also arrested 23 students.

Published in Dawn, December 1st, 2022