RECORDER REPORT
PESHAWAR: Representatives of Civil society organizations (CSOs) have fully backed the demands of the protesting students of Peshawar University and asked the provincial government and the university administration to accept their demands immediately.
Speaking a news conference at press club here on Monday, Shabeena Ayaz, a resident director of Aurat Foundation has endorsed the demands of the students, staging sit-in’ for last couple of weeks in the university campus against the increase in fees. She said they will extend any support to the protesting students for fulfillment of their legitimate demands.
Shabeena said the university syndicate meeting would be held on Dec 12, which should accept all demands of the protesting students, and implement them with letter and spirit, otherwise, she warned that they will also become part in their ongoing struggle and campaign.
She said the university teachers have always used dropout system, discipline committee and thesis as tools against the male and female students. She demanded of the provincial government and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly to constitute an impartial fact-finding committee, which would be comprised of members of the assembly, and civil society to take action against the involved teaching staffs in this illegal practice.
She added the committee should conduct inquiry about all financial, administrative, departmental and moral aspects and to award exemplary punishment to involved the accused people. She warned that if the provincial assembly failed to form the committee, then civil society will constitute at its own body to initiate investigate into the alleged irregularities.
Flanked by the Pakhtunkhwa Olasi Tehreek convener, Dr Said Alam Mehsud, Nusrat Ara from South Asian Partership program, and representatives of Khwendo Kor, Takhra Qabaili Khwendy, and Fata Lawyers Forum, Ms Shabeena said that the revival of students union is the best solution of the all these issues, and demanded for restoration of students unions and federations across the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
She said that the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) into Mashal Khan murder case had asked the provincial government to take action against the police officials and the university administration.
But, she regretted that the government was not taking any action in this regard. She demanded the provincial government to take prompt action against these two departments regarding Mashal lyching case.
Dr Said Alam Meshud said the demands of the protesting students have not been taken seriously by the administration, which has further deteriorated the situation in the university campus.
He criticised the provincial government for not taking prompt measure to end standoff between the university administration and the protesting students in the campus, and asked to immediately accept all demands of the students and implement them with letter and spirit.
