Since November last year, the lives of approximately 2,000 students in Quetta have been stuck in limbo. Balochistan’s largest medical institution, the Bolan Medical College (BMC), has been closed for nearly six months now, with no clarity on when it will reopen.

Initially, the shutdown was attributed to a student dispute that escalated into violence, but later, the explanation expanded to include long-overdue infrastructural repairs. In a notification issued last month, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, the college principal stated that academic activities would resume on April 25.

However, the day came and went with no progress — the BMC remains shut. “We are currently completing physical verification of hostel allotments … once that’s complete, classes will resume,” the college administration claimed. A second notification issued on May 11 said the college would now open on Friday, May 16.

For the hundreds of students enrolled at the college, many from remote areas, the closure has caused confusion and frustration. They were asked to vacate hostels and return home with limited information on what comes next.

“The entire academic schedule has been delayed, affecting our studies, exams, and future plans,” said Mujeeb Mengal, a third-year MBBS student at BMC.

In Balochistan, where access to healthcare and education is already a challenge, the prolonged suspension of BMC’s operations has sparked debate. At the centre of this discussion are questions regarding the true cause of the closure — whether it was a necessary step for institutional improvement, or if broader administrative and political factors were at play.

The shutdown

On November 12, a dispute between two student groups escalated into violence, leaving at least seven students injured and prompting a heavy deployment of security personnel. A total of 12 students were arrested.

“The police raided our hostels and forcibly evacuated us at 2am, treating us as if we were terrorists,” said Shabbir Zehri, a first-year MBBS student. “We were left stranded on the streets for the rest of the night,” he recalled, adding that valuable items, including mobile phones, laptops, and books, were stolen from their rooms during the eviction.

“With no other choice, we had to seek accommodation in private hostels, but the fees were exorbitant. Some of us were forced to sell phones, belongings and even goats just to pay rent. The alternative was using that money to travel back home,” he shared.

According to police, the conflict stemmed from a disagreement over hostel allotment. On the same day, the college issued a notification stating that hostels would be closed for two weeks for “renovation work and due to the law and order situation.” A second notification extended the closure indefinitely. Academic activities were also suspended.

Speaking to Dawn.com, BMC admin officer Hamdullah Khan recalled that videos of the incident quickly circulated on social media. Senior administrators who attempted to intervene were also attacked by students, he said.

“The police eventually gained control of the situation. However, concerns about further clashes led to the shutdown during the last 10 days of November,” he added.

A few days later, Hamdullah said, the provincial health minister visited the campus and ordered renovations that had been pending for over a decade.

Meanwhile, students alleged that the BMC administration deliberately attempted to frame the issue through an ethnic lens. “Minor scuffles happen at every institution,” said Kabeer Baloch, zonal president of the Baloch Students Organisation (BSO).

He explained that while the incident involved a few students, it was resolved after intervention by BSO and Pashtun student leaders. “BSO does not encourage ethnic hatred or violence. If any of our members had been involved, they would have been suspended by now,” he said.

The Pashtun Students Organisation (PSO) had a similar view. “Claims that the BMC was shut due to PSO students’ violent behaviour are completely baseless. Our students have often been victims of violence, which we’ve repeatedly brought to the administration’s notice,” said Mujtaba Hassan, PSO’s information secretary.

Students also pointed out that the groups involved later held a press conference confirming that they had resolved their issues. “But the government remained adamant about keeping the college closed,” lamented Khursheed Baloch, a member of the Baloch Students Action Committee (BSAC), another student political organisation.

Renovation work — reality or excuse?

Recently, videos showing glimpses of the renovated medical college have been circulating online. However, students remain sceptical about the extent and impact of the repairs.

Khursheed claimed that the renovation work was largely superficial. “All we’ve heard for months are excuses. If any work has been done, it’s either minimal or only exists on paper,” he said.

“On the ground, the campus remains in a deteriorated condition. The academic loss we’ve suffered is immeasurable, and it’s unjust to hide it behind the narrative of renovation,” he added.

While the BSO’s Kabeer Baloch acknowledged that some renovation had taken place, he questioned the approach, citing the example of King Edward Medical University, where construction continued without disrupting classes. “The government could have opted for alternative solutions here, too, but chose not to.”

The PSO’s Mujtaba Hassan agreed. “You cannot gamble with students’ futures for the sake of infrastructure. In other provinces, students complete their MBBS in five years. Here, closures push it to six or seven years,” the group’s spokesperson said.

For its part, the BMC administration says that the sports complex, hostels, lecture halls, laboratories and other facilities had been upgraded, with new amenities such as revamped rooms, replaced doors and windows, improved electricity and water supply, and installation of carpets and curtains.

Yet, despite these claims, students remain unconvinced, arguing that the academic cost of the closure heavily outweighs the infrastructural improvements.

“Fights happen at every college, and that’s normal, but closing the institute for six months isn’t an option … there are ways to tackle them,” said Mohammad Azeem, a third-year medical student. “We are all affected by the closure of the college, and there’s a wave of uncertainty about what will happen next.”

Fear of hyper-securitisation on campus

Alongside the uncertainty, there is a growing unease among students — not just at BMC, but across Balochistan — over fears of the hyper-securitisation of university campuses.

For its part, the BMC administration refuted claims regarding the presence of military personnel, clarifying that private security guards had been hired to ensure safety and prevent unauthorised access.

However, student groups alleged that educational institutions were being increasingly securitised to suppress dissent and student activism in politically aware academic spaces.

The BSAC criticised the “toxic environment” created under the pretext of security, arguing that educational institutions should be centres of learning and intellectual freedom, not places of fear and surveillance.

“Students should grow under the shade of books, not under the shadow of guns,” Khursheed argued.

Other student organisations echoed this view. “Insecurity is widespread across Balochistan, but why do security concerns only shut down educational institutions?” asked the BSO’s Kabeer. “Students deserve to study in a peaceful environment.”

Dawn.com reached out to the Balochistan government for comment but did not receive a response until the filing of this report.

The resistance

As the days turned into weeks, students grew increasingly apprehensive and even staged a sit-in outside the BMC. They demanded that hostel repairs be carried out without disrupting education, scholarships be disbursed, and welfare funds be allocated transparently.

Dawn.com reached out to the BMC administration as well as the Balochistan government regarding the budget allocated for the renovations but did not receive a response.

The sit-in, which lasted several days, eventually led to negotiations between students and the administration. A written assurance was issued, promising that the students’ demands would be met within a specified period.

However, the underlying issues remain unresolved.

According to Dr Maqbool Langove, an associate professor at BMC, the closure has severely impacted the academic year. The five-year MBBS programme often already stretches to six years at the college, but further shutdowns will only prolong it more.

Exam schedules have been thrown into uncertainty, and the course load might now be reduced, he said. “For the faculty too, it’s a problem — the curriculum will have to be made more selective.”

He added that although teachers had recommended shifting classes online, internet availability — especially in peripheral areas — was a major hurdle, compounded by frequent internet shutdowns.

Student politics and BMC administration

The BMC has long been a hub of Baloch nationalist politics. Its rooms echo with the legacy of past leaders who once spearheaded the Baloch National Movement. Over the years, tensions between administration and students have often flared up.

Currently, the debate revolves around the claim that student politics has shifted from study circles to group-centric politics, focused on hostel allotments and campus conflicts.

“If the administration fulfils its duties properly, PSO will never interfere,” said Mujtaba. “But if students are deprived of facilities and education due to negligence, we will raise our voices.”

Meanwhile, other students called the administration’s claims “negative propaganda.”

“They overlook the fact that students simply want to complete their education and succeed,” said BSO’s Kabeer Baloch. “We have always sought to strengthen institutional frameworks and promote a positive relationship between teachers and students.”

Students also criticised the provincial government’s narrative of sending youth abroad on scholarships to prestigious universities such as Harvard and Oxford, terming it a “hollow slogan” that ignores the collapse of Balochistan’s own education system.

“If there truly was an educational revolution happening, Balochistan’s most important medical institution wouldn’t have remained closed for six months,” said BSAC’s Khursheed.

“These claims feel empty unless backed by tangible change. Real educational revolution is about access to basic academic facilities — something students here are still fighting for.”

Header image: A banner hung on the main entrance of the Bolan Medical College in Quetta. — All photos by author