Staff Reporter
Protest by universities students against physical examinations on Tuesday turned violent as they clashed with police and security guards outside their campuses both in Faisalabad and Lahore.
In Lahore, some students of a private university who staged a sit-in outside the campus, pelted stones at security guards. They tried to force their way into the campus but were pushed back by the guards who baton-charged them.
According to the protesters, three students got injured when security guards hurled stones and baton-charged them.
A large number of students staged a sit-in outside a varsity in Faisalabad. The protest turned violent when some of them started pelting stones at its gate and tried to broke into the campus. The police baton-charged the protesters and arrested five students.
Five students were injured in protests outside the NFC University in Faisalabad. According to reports, a guard has been injured too. A group of over 200 students had gathered outside the varsity in the district Jaranwala protesting against physical exams.
The protest turned violent when they started pelting stones at the varsity’s gate and tried to break in. The police intervened, baton-charged the protesters, and arrested five students.
A total of 15 students have been locked up inside the varsity by the management as well. The students have said that will come outside on the streets again and won’t back out unless their demands are met.
Another protest is underway outside the National Textile University located near the Sheikhupura Road in the city. The students have blocked the Green Belt for traffic and are staging a sit-in there.
HEC’s role The HEC does not have any authority of the academic decisions made by the varsities, Punjab Minister for Higher Education Raja Yasir told a private TV.
“HEC only advises them when they consult the body.”He condemned the action taken by the students. “This way anyone will come to the streets and blackmail authorities to take decisions in their favour.”
Yasir added that the varsities should talk to students and reach a decision that is acceptable for both the students and the universities.Students across Pakistan have taken to the streets in protest of the universities’ decision of physical exams for Fall semester 2020-2021.
They have demanded that throughout the semester, they took classes online, and therefore exams, too, should be taken that way. “The learning management system was broken down most of the times and the quality of our classes were very bad,” one of the protesters complained.The students have demanded that either exam be taken online or universities should postpone the finals.
“Give us classes on campus for two months and then take the exams,” they said, adding that otherwise, they will continue their protests. Following this, #StudentsWantOnlineExams started trending on Twitter.
