ISLAMABAD: The capital police on Tuesday rounded up over six dozen occupants of Quaid-i-Azam University hostels and shifted them to the Secretariat police station for legal action.

The police said that, on the request of the university administration, they provided legal assistance to get the hostels vacated. The administration informed the police that students had vacated 11 hostels; however, some students in the remaining four hostels were not vacating even after the administration’s directions and were staying illegally.

On the written request of the QAU administration, the capital police assisted the university administration and security guards.

Those who resisted and refused to vacate the hostels were rounded up and shifted to the police station. Legal action will be taken based on the written complaint of the university administration.

Academic Staff Association appreciates action, says university’s administrative writ will be upheld

The police said in response to the request, a police contingent reached the university and warned those residing in the four hostels who refused to vacate. They were asked to leave the hostels, and upon their refusal, action was taken against them. As a result, over 72 persons were taken into custody from Hostels No 6, 8, 9, and 11.

Later, the police operation concluded after all the hostels were vacated and those taken into custody were shifted to the police station.

Investigations are underway against those who have been shifted to the police station. In this regard, the university administration is assisting the police, said the police.

Those taken into custody were either outsiders unaffiliated with the university in any manner, or former students who have finished their studies but were still residing in the hostels.

In a statement, the Academic Staff Association (ASA) of QAU said the university had officially announced the closure of the scheduled summer session due to time constraints, as decided during meetings of deans, chairpersons and directors held on July 8 and 16, under the leadership of acting Vice Chancellor Prof Zafar Nawaz Jaspal. The decision included the vacation of hostels to facilitate essential maintenance and repairs.

Following his resumption of office, Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Niaz Ahmad Akhtar endorsed these decisions in a meeting held on July 25.

ASA President Prof Mazhar Iqbal expressed appreciation to the vice chancellor for personally supervising the hostel clean-up operation.

He also acknowledged the critical support provided by the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, the Islamabad administration, the provost boys’ hostels, the director of students affairs, hostel staff, security officers, and security personnel.

ASA extended special thanks to Prof Jaspal for his courageous and principled leadership during this transitional period.

ASA said it was hopeful that law and order, as well as the university’s administrative writ, will be consistently upheld, ensuring a safe, stable and rule-based campus environment for all.

Published in Dawn, July 30th, 2025