SWABI: The students of the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology have demanded a transparent inquiry into the alleged suicide of a colleague, and provision of facilities in the institute’s to medical centre.

The students had gathered at the main gate of the institute following the death of a student, Roslan Riaz, who was found hanging in his hostel room on Sunday.

Talking to reporters, the protesting students alleged that when they took Riaz to the medical centre in a very critical condition, there was no doctor or ambulance available there.

The deceased belonged to Mardan district and was second-semester student of BS Computer Engineering.

“The alleged suicide of the student has created insecurity among us and our parents,” said a student.

During the protest, the Topi-Tarbela Road remained closed.

The students also demanded replacing the dean student affairs, the hostel warden and provision of adequate facilities at the medical centre, ensuring availability of doctors and paramedical staff there to handle any emergency.

The institute’s management assured the protesting students that facilities would be provided to the medical centre within two weeks.

Brig (retired) Babar Miraj Shami, pro-rector administration, along with other officials reached the main gate where the students were protesting and made them agree to move to Agha Hasan Abidi auditorium, where talks were held between them late night.

The rector GIK Institute and other officials were also present on the occasion.

There were about 400 protesting students, sources said.

The institute’s officials told Dawn that it was perhaps the first time during the last two and half decades that students of GIK Institute staged a protest.

The officials told the students that the dean student affairs and the hostel warden had been suspended immediately after the incident and a five-member internal inquiry committee constituted to conduct probe into the incident.

Meanwhile, the members of Society for Promotion of Engineering Sciences and Technology in Pakistan, the parent body of the GIK Institute, have taken strong notice of the incident and the students’ protest.

They called for investigating the incident and taking action against all those who acted negligently.

The police have also formed a team led by assistant sub-inspector Humayun Babakhel to probe the incident.

Published in Dawn, March 10th, 2026