LAHORE: Bahauddin Zakariya University (BZU) Faculty of Engineering and Technology (FE&T) on Friday held a protest against the proposed merger of the faculty.

A large number of teachers, employees and students participated in the demonstration held in front of the dean office of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology, where participants carried banners and placards bearing slogans in support of preserving the faculty’s identity, autonomy and academic standards. BZU Academic Staff Association (ASA), officers and staff unions also supported the protest.

The demonstration was led by Dean Faculty of Engineering and Technology Prof Dr Tahir Sultana and chairpersons of various engineering departments and employees also joined the protest.

The participants rejected the proposed policy of the Punjab Higher Education Commission under which proposal was made to merge FE&T BZU into MNS University of Engineering and Technology.

Addressing the gathering, the speakers said that the Faculty of Engineering and Technology was a well-established and active institution with an academic legacy spanning several decades with seven engineering programmes being offered.

They said merging a successful and mature faculty into a newly established and unstable institution would not only damage academic standards but would also prove harmful to the future of higher education in the region.

The protesters vowed to continue raising their voice at every democratic and constitutional forum for the protection of their institution’s identity and autonomy. They said the BZU’s historic and strong faculties could not be sacrificed to conceal the consequences of poor planning.

The participants unanimously demanded the Punjab government and the PHEC immediately withdraw the proposed merger policy, preserve the faculty’s identity, and save the future of teachers, officers, employees and students from uncertainty.

Published in Dawn, May 23rd, 2026