SWABI, Sept 12: The students of Postgraduate College Swabi staged a protest demonstration and blocked road on Monday against the principal of the college for not granting admission to local youth in the educational institution.

The members of Muslim Students Federation (MSF) and Insaf Students Federation (ISF) marched from the college in a big procession to Swabi-Mardan Road. They blocked the road at Gohati Bus Stop to all kinds of traffic.

The protesting students were led by ISF district chairman Farman Khan and MSF divisional president Mohmand Khan. They threatened that they would not open the road till acceptance of their demand. They said it was right of the local youth to get admission in the college.

However, DSP Pir Shahab and SHO Ayaz Khan of the City police station persuaded the protesting students to open the road and hold negotiations with the principal.

The college administration, when contacted, said there was no need of staging protest and students should have first held negotiations with the principal of the college. “I think the issue would have been resolved earlier if they had sat on negotiating table,” said a staff member.

There are about 700 seats of pre-engineering, pre-medical and humanities group for students of first year. “The college management has closed the admission process but it allows late admission to some competent students. The MSF and ISF students want to enroll their colleagues in the college,” sources said.The vice-principal of the college, Khushdil Khan, when contacted, said that he didn't know about the total number of the seats. “I have joined the college recently and the admission process was supervised by other staff members,” he added.

However, other staff members said the entire admission process was handled by Mr Khan.

Basharat Hussain, the principal of the college, told this correspondent by telephone that they had resolved the issue. “The students will get admission,” he said. However, he was reluctant to disclose the exact number of the seats.