Islamabad - The syndicate of Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU), in a unanimous decision on Friday, refused to restore the expelled students, while the students too have announced to continue their strike, said an official.

The hopes of reopening the campus faded away after university’s supreme body refused to give any relief to the students who were awarded punishment in the inquiry report of the university’s disciplinary committee.

Meanwhile, the protesting students declared reopening of the university as ‘one-sided’ announcement by the administration and vowed to continue the strike.

An official who attended the meeting informed The Nation that the syndicate unanimously decided not to bend its knee before the students’ demand of restoring the expelled students.

Meanwhile, the syndicate also constituted a three-member committee to review the ‘punishment procedures’ and maintain the transparency in it.

The committee will be comprised of a member of Federal Ministry of Education Dr Rafiq Tahir, representative Higher Education Commission (HEC) Dr Raza Bhatti and syndicate member Major (Retd) Tahir Iqbal.

“The committee will review the inquiry report, identify any lapse and will present its report in 15 days,” said an official.

According to the official, Vice-Chancellor (VC) Prof Dr Javed Ashraf negotiated for some relief but the supreme body refused to give any relaxation on the basis of the inquiry report. “The inquiry report was based on the previous history of the students, which declared students involved in violence as guilty,” said the official.

He also said that the syndicate also refused to give any compensation to the students rusticated or imposed with heavy fines.

The Official also added that the committee’s findings will not be accepted and possibly will be opposed also, as the representative of the federal education ministry in the committee is not a member of the syndicate. The disciplinary committee had put penalties on nearly 30 students in a violent clash that occurred between two student councils of the university while seven were expelled on its recommendations.

However, the syndicate endorsed the decision of the VC regarding withdrawal of the notification of increasing the fee. In a late night development, a day before, ICT convinced the QSF to halt the protest, as the syndicate meeting was to be held on Friday to discuss the students’ demands.

ICT had to take both sides on for table talks after the federal minister for interior had taken notice of the situation at the campus and directed the city administration to take any action.

However, QSF agreed to allow the meeting conditioning it with issuing of the notification by the VC regarding withdrawing the increase in fee.

“Administration made a one-sided announcement regarding reopening of the university while the students had refused to end strike until the demands were addressed in the syndicate meeting,” said the official.

One line notification issued by the VC stated, “This notifies that the 10 per cent increase in the fee for 2017-18 is withdrawn.”

Talking to The Nation, Chairman Pashtoon Student Council Jahanzeb Khan said that strike is continued until students get relief in their demands.

“No decision of calling off the strike was taken by the QSF and it will resist opening of the university on Monday,” he said.

Acting Registrar Quaid-i-Azam University, Dr Imtiaz-ud-Din talking to The Nation said that syndicate has decided not to give any relief to the students involved in a violent clash and were awarded punishments.

A three-member committee will review the findings of the inquiry committee which recommended the punishments for students.

However, the fee structure of 2015-16 has been restored, he said.

“The university is open from the side of the administration,” he said. The students strike at campus entered into the 17th day.

 

 

rahul basharat