UAF students block road against Varsity Admin
FAISALABAD:17 October : A large number of students of the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) staged a protest demonstration and sit-in on Jail Road against the university administration for fee raise, removal of hundreds of students from hostels and lack of transport.
Earlier, the rally organised by the Muttahida Talaba Mahaz (MTM) of the UAF started from the Zero Point of the university and after passing through the main thoroughfare reached the main gate on the Jail Road. Carrying banners and placards, the students chanted slogans against the university administration and blocked traffic by burning tyres on it for more than one hour.
Talking to reporters, the students said the administration had increased fees exorbitantly without ascertaining the facts that the price hike had been creating a plethora of problems for the parents.
They said a couple of days ago, the university administration also removed more than 800 hundred male students from different hostels without intimation to accommodate newcomer female students. They said they were not against accommodating the females but that should not be done at the cost of male students. However, they said that owing to decision of the administration the male students had been accommodated in the already crowded hostels. The protesting students said new hostels must be constructed on the campus and not far from it.
With the intervention of the district administration, the university administration, comprising Student Affairs Director Zafar Iqbal Qureshi, hall warden Amjad Olakh, held talks with MTM office-bearers, including Hafiz Amaduddin, Hafiz Abubakar, Nomana Dhilon, Muneeb Gujjar, Hafiz Esar, Sulman Gujjar and Hafiz Usama.
The students dispersed after assurance that fee increase would be withdrawn, the already stuffed hostels won’t be overburdened and boarders of Kisan Hall and Paras Campus would be shifted to the main campus by Nov 28.
DCO Noorul Ameen Mengal told Dawn that he had talked to UAF VC Dr Iqrar Ahmed and asked him to resolve the issues of the protesting students. He said it was an obligation of the university to facilitate them when they had been given admissions. He said the VC had also been asked to hire rented buildings for the time being as construction of new hostels would take time.
Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2014.
