rawalpindi-Scores of students from the two institutions of Pir Mehar Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi (PMAS-AAUR) staged a protest on Monday against the administration’s decision to conduct on campus examinations instead of implementing online system during coronavirus pandemic.
The students enrolled with Barani Institute of Management Sciences (BIMS) and Barani Institute of Information Technology (BITS) numbering in more than 350 blocked both sides of Murree Road at Shamasabad and chanted slogans in favour of their demands and against the varsity administration.
Mess of the students have triggered a massive traffic jam on Murree Road, Islamabad Expressway and other adjoining roads such as Katcheri, Rashid Minhas Road, Mall Road, Peshawar Road, Saddar, Mareer Chowk, Moti Mehal, Committee Chowk, Commercial Market, 6th Road, 7th Road, Double Road, Shamasabad, Farooq-e-Azam Road, Kuri Road, Faizabad and Koral. Commuters suffered a lot in the bumper to bumper traffic jam.
Addressing the protestors, the speakers condemned the varsity administration for conducting examinations in campus instead of online system. 
They said the government had clearly directed all the educational institutions to cancel classes in coronavirus pandemic but the management of PMAS-AAUR is not obeying the orders. “We don’t want to be victims of coronavirus while attending classes and conducting papers,” they said.
The students were of the opinion that there was no ‘teaching’ in the classes, rather the teachers only asked students to submit assignments online. On what basis was the university conducting these examinations in campuses, the students demanded to know.
They further demanded the government to order management to conduct online examinations to save the students from Covid-19.
A spokesman of PMAS-AAUR, when contacted, said the students agitated over decision of holding examinations in the campus. He said though the university management had negotiated with the protestors yet the examination would be conducted in the campus.
“Both sides of Murree blocked by students of PMAS-AAUR during a protest demo triggering massive traffic jam,” said SI Kashif Saroosh, the PRO to CTO Rawalpindi. He said extra police force was deployed to control traffic rush.
Similarly, SSP Traffic Islamabad Farrukh Rashid, meanwhile, tweeted, “Diversions placed on 9th Avenue IJP Road due to protest. Faqeer Epi Road and Faisal Avenue can be used from Srinagar Highway to reach Faizabad and IJP Road. For latest updates, keep listening ITP FM 92.4.”