QUETTA: The treasury and opposition benches in the Balochistan Assembly again joined hands to condemn the authorities of the Bolan Medical University (BMU) and the city administration for conducting a “midnight operation to expel post-graduate girl students from the varsity hostel”.

The issue was raised in Thursday’s session by Minister for Social Welfare Mir Asadullah Baloch, Shakila Naveed Dhewar of the opposition BNP-Mengal and other members.

Lashing out at the authorities concerned, Mir Asad said the way the authorities had conducted the operation at the girls’ hostel in the middle of the night is against the guiding principles, traditions and customs of Baloch society.

On a previous occasion, the BMU officials, aided by the city administration, had launched an abortive midnight operation to expel the girl students from the hostel. However, the students offered stiff resistance following which talks were held between the two sides and the varsity authorities gave the girls some time to vacate their hostel rooms.

The university authorities believe that post-graduate students are not entitled to lodging in the hostel which should exclusively house only graduates.

On the other hand, the post-graduate girl students insist that since they have come from places other than Quetta that include remote areas of Balochistan, they have the right to stay in the hostel.

Minister for Home and Tribal Affairs Mir Zia Ahmed Langove, while responding to the members’ demand for a probe into the incident, said a committee would be constituted and in the light of its report and recommendations, strict action will be taken against those found responsible for “mishandling the BMC girls’ hostel matter.

He also promised to arrange a meeting of the representatives of the girl students with Chief Minister Jam Kamal Alyani.

Danesh Kumar, the chief minister’s adviser on minorities, Qadir Nayal of the Hazara Democratic Party and Titus Johnson of the BNP-Mengal expressed concern over inadequate security at the minorities’ places of worship in Quetta and other parts of the province.

Highlighting a recent incident in Dukki, Nasrullah Zerey of the PkMAP deplored that instead of “taking action against the assistant commissioner for opening fire on protesters, the Levies Force has registered a case against the latter.

The protest took place over a wall raised by the AC which had blocked a public thoroughfare.

Published in Dawn, October 11th, 2019