PU students protest against HEC dissolution

Lahore, Dozens of students of the Punjab University (PU) staged a protest demonstration on Friday against the possible dissolution of the Higher Education Commission (HEC). The students of different departments, mainly from the Institute of Communication Studies (ICS), gathered outside the PU New Campus near the Campus Bridge and expressed their anger over the likely decision.

Carrying placards condemning the possible decision of the HEC dissolution, the protesters demanded the government not abolish the HEC, saying the step would jeopardize the whole higher education sector in the country.

They alleged that the HEC was being victimized for not cooperating with the government in the degree verification process. The abolition would also create problems related to degrees verification, attestation and recognition at the international level, they maintained. The students remained there for sometime while traffic also remained slightly disrupted on main the Canal Road and other adjacent roads owing to the demo.

Similarly, some MPhil and PhD scholars of the Punjab University also held a demonstration within the varsity campus and strongly opposed the likely dissolution of the HEC. They said the entire scholarship program of the HEC would be at stake as hundreds of students were pursuing higher education in and outside the country on the Commission s scholarships.

It is pertinent to mention that various student organizations, including Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT) and Insaaf Students Federation (ISF), have been organizing protests against the possible disbanding of the HEC. The ISF has also started a mobilization campaign in the regard, urging the youth, especially the students, to stand up against the possible move.

Different NGOs and organizations working in the education sector have condemned the government for its intension of abolishing the HEC, demanding the rulers to let the HEC continue its function as it had rendered great services to promote research culture besides uplifting the standards of higher education.