PESHAWAR, Dec 15: Police resorted to teargas shelling and baton-charge to disperse the students of Islamia College, University of Peshawar, when they were protesting here on Wednesday against high fees , poor quality of food in hostels and cancellation of study tours.

Sources said that students belonging to the Islami Jamiat Tulaba went to the Recreation Hall to hold negotiations with the college administration on their problems. While the talks between the students' representatives and the administration were in progress, a police team came to the place and fired teargas shells and used sticks to disperse the students.

The protesters pelted the police with stones. The students then headed towards the principal's office to lodge their protest but police again fired tear-gas shells. Several students suffered minor injuries.

Chanting slogans against the vice-chancellor and the principal, the enraged students ran towards the hostel and smashed windowpanes. Police chased them and drove them out of the hostel.

Later, a group of more than 300 students blocked the University Road near the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education. Eight of the protesters were taken into custody on the charge of creating law and order situation on the campus.

Addressing the students on the occasion, IJT chief Sahibzada Arshadullah condemned the police for their attitude towards students. He called upon NWFP Governor Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah to intervene and "save educational institutions from collapse".

Mr Arshadullah regretted that the college administration had raised the hostel and mess fees manifold while the standard of food was deteriorating. He also criticized the administration for replacing long study tours with brief ones though they charged huge amount for the purpose.