ISLAMABAD: Students of the International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) have approached President Asif Ali Zardari and requested him to intervene into, what they claimed, “ongoing tense situation” on campus in his capacity as the university’s chancellor.

Through a letter, students requested President Zardari to take notice of the IIUI issue, stating that the university got the hostels vacated from students and banned student politics.

General Secretary of the Anjuman Talab-i-Islam (ATI) — a student organisation — at IIUI Atif Amin, who is student of Shariah and Law Department, wrote the said letter, stating that in recent weeks, the administration canceled hostel accommodations for thousands of local students while all forums of student organisations were banned.

The students stated that such actions on the part of the IIUI management were not only against the justice and educational liberty but also in direct conflict with a resolution passed in the Senate a few years ago, demanding restoration of the students’ union.

They said Quaid-i-Azam University syndicate last year also decided to revive students’ union and Supreme Court Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa being member of the QAU

syndicate also supported students’ unions.

When contacted, IIUI spokesperson Nasir Farid said students were making issues unnecessarily. He said the students’ unions were already banned by the university’s Board of Governors a few years ago.

Secondly, he said during summer vacations, university got hostels vacated to get rid of illegal occupants and for making allotment afresh.

“We have started the process of new allotment, which will be completed in the next two days.

“Genuine students are being considered for new allotments but ex-students and former illegal occupants would not be allowed to enter hostels,” he said.

Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2024