Over 70 Students Arrested as Quaid-e-Azam University Protests Turn Ugly

Quaid-e-Azam University has found itself in a tricky position after raising the tuition fees of the students. The news did not sit well with the students and they decided to go on a strike.

The strike lasted for 16-days and ended last week on Friday, after the university management and district administration agreed to 12 demands from the students.

When everything seemed to be back to normal, the protesting resumed on Monday and subsequently led to more than 70 arrests of Quaid-e-Azam University students.

The police reported that the students laid infront of the university buses and refused to cooperate with the university staff. Frustrated with the situation, police were informed and the arrests began.

A local media outlet reported:

A high number of police and FC personnel are present at the campus to ensure that classes are not interrupted. Women police officials are also present on the site.

The protesting students had been disrupting classes, laying infront of buses to stop them from entering or leaving university and were chanting various slogans against the varsity’s administration because of raising fees.

Police officials at the QAU campus on 23rd October, 2017. 

In order to contain the situation, a heavy contingent of police arrived and used tear-gas shells to disperse the students. This resulted in injures to the students, who have been transferred to hospital.

The situation has deteriorated so much that a few students are also reported to have received gunshot wounds.

However, this response from police is anything but uncalled for as the students have been accused of possessing illegal weapons, wrecking havoc and attempting murder as well.

University has formed a three-member committee which will review the sentences given to the students.

With the current situation at the university, it is hard to believe that Quaid-e-Azam University was ranked amongst the top 500 universities in the world by Times Higher Education World University Rankings in September.