UoP students stage protest against increase in fee

Peshawar: On Tuesday, a union of all political wings, federations and regional organizations of students of University of Peshawar (UOP) staged a protest against annually 10% increase in semester fees.

The protesters furthermore demanded the management of university to provide transport facility to students and provide security to the female students against harassment by the staff.

A list of demands, primarily focusing on welfare as well as protection of aspirants on the campus, was presented by Mutahidda Tulaba Mahaz to the VC of varsity.

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At first the vice chancellor refused to meet the aspirants. Afterwards he held talks along with the aspirants however did not accept many of their main demands,” said Nazim Khan, one of the protesting aspirants as well as the members of the Mutahidda Tulaba Mahaz.

The Mutahidda Tulaba Mahaz on Tuesday morning staged the sit-in and remained peaceful yet obstinate in their protest until evening and waited for the vice-chancellor to accept their demands.

The vice chancellor of university of Peshawar Dr Mohammad Asif Khan was not available on his office or at the residence telephone numbers for reply when the media sources contact him regarding this issue.

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The protesting aspirants demanded of the  management of the university to take back the decision of 10% annually yearly increase in tuition fee, admission, hostel as well as the other fees, provide hostel and transport facility to the aspirants, offer scholarship to the deserving candidates and also conducts an inquiry into irregularities in its provisions, resolve the issue of students dropped out by organizing exams for them, take up the issue of registration of BS programme as well as the degree of the Institute of Education and Research along with Higher Education Commissioner, ensure the cleanliness of the campus and hostels, issue research grant for the PhD and MS aspirants, stop violation of students rights in the name of sanctuary, ask provincial government to reinstate the aspirant unions for healthy activities on the campus , restore MA and BA programmes as well as provide protection to the female students against harassment by the staff of the varsity.

The aspirants added that rather than hiring staff on higher grades in spite of lamenting financial restrictions, the varsity should regularize the services of 500 employees of class 4^th and 5^th.  

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“Our basic demands were not met and our protest will continue. We want the management of the university to follow up on some 500 harassment objections filed to the related committee and take action against the alleged persons,” said Bilal Khan, the chairperson of MTM.

The protesters claimed that they will continue their protest because the management of university was not paying any attention to their passive agitation on serious matters.