PESHAWAR, Sept 7: Students of the NWFP University of Engineering and Technology, Mardan campus, staged a demonstration here on Thursday in protest against non-recognition and non-accreditation of their degrees by Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC).

The protesting students were holding banners and placards inscribed with slogans against the university administration.

Some of the protesters said that more than 400 students of telecommunication and computer science of all the four batches enrolled had gone on a strike.

They said that of the 63 students in final year, a majority had taken admission on self-finance basis paying over Rs375,000 for four years, but the campus had not yet been recognised by the PEC, putting their future at stake.

An accreditation team visited the campus in December 2005 to assess the facilities. The council sent a letter in June 2006, rejecting accreditation of the campus because of lack of prerequisites, creating unrest among the students, sources said.

The newly-appointed dean of University of Engineering and Technology and coordinator for Mardan campus, Prof Mohammad Mansoor Khan, visited the campus on Tuesday and threatened the students to end their boycott or face rustication from the university, said a student.

The students said it was their legal right to protest against the injustice of the vice-chancellor and other UET officers. “We have also sent an application to the governor and the chief minister, asking them to intervene in the matter and protect the future of the students,” said another student.

The students said the letter of rejection had been removed from the PEC website on the request of the university administration.

They said their strike was peaceful and they would raise the issue at every available platform to get accreditation for their degrees.

They complained that UET Vice-Chancellor Imtiaz Hussain Gilani had done nothing for the accreditation of the campus.