LAHORE: The Punjab University Student Federation (PUSF) on Wednesday carried out Students Rights March to demand constitutional and educational rights.

PUSF is a joint body of different student organisations, including Pashtun, Baloch, Punjabi and Seraiki councils.

The students belonging to PUSF organised the march from Punjab University to Punjab Assembly. The students from new and old campuses gathered at Bagh-i-Jinnah and marched towards the assembly. They staged a sit-in outside the assembly.

The demands include reversal of fee increase, renovation of hostels, banning entry of police, female hostels upgrade and provision of facilities, opening of university gates for entry and exist of the students, audit of university budget, restoration of hostel facility for the students of evening classes coming from remote areas.

It further includes suspending all expulsion and rustication of students on disciplinary grounds, suspension of transport fee, restoration of third shift of the library, cancellation of the illegal post of director general of Student Affairs, State and Security and establishing a committee to develop coordination among the students and vice chancellor.

Student Affairs, State and Security director general Dr Rehan Sadiq Sheikh told Dawn that the current administration did not increase fee even after facing a Rs3 billion deficit. He said the gates were closed due to security reasons and would not open.

He said the renovation of the hostels was started and all will be renovated soon while adding that the evening programmes were not being offered hostel facilities and it was mentioned on the admission advertisement.

He said the students were protesting against vacating 600 rooms of different hostels during a recent operation against illegal residents.

He said the regular students were given 500 rooms and all illegal residents were expelled from the hostels and they also have started a mess system in the hostels and recovered Rs 98 million hostel and mess fee from students during the last three months.

Published in Dawn, April 24th, 2025