Academic activities in University of Peshawar resumed

UoP: Academic activities restart as 3 institutions reopen
Peshawar, Apr 06: Educational activities resumed in some of the institutions of the University of Peshawar after a break of 16 days.

All the universities, colleges, training institutes and schools on the university campus were closed down on March 20 due to the violent riots after the death of a student of the NWFP University of Engineering and Technology (UET), who had suffered a serious head injury during a clash between two student organisations.

NWFP Governor Owais Ahmad Ghani, who is also chancellor of the public sector universities, convened two meetings of the vice-chancellors of the universities after the tragic incident that happened on March 19 to discuss the situation and issue directives for ensuring peaceful educational environment on the campus.

In the second meeting held on April 1 last, it was decided that the campus should be reopened phase-wise. In the first phase Islamia College University, Jinnah College for Women, University of Peshawar and Home Economics College were reopened on Monday. Decision about the reopening of the rest would be taken on April 12 after an overview of the situation.

A tragedy that shocked everyone took place on the university campus Peshawar on March 19, the unique campus in the country and perhaps in the world where education from pre-nursery up to PhD level is imparted. Having over 20,000 students, it is considered as the most peaceful educational campus in the country. This was the first incident on the campus since 1982-83 when a medical student Attaullah was killed in a similar clash. And this time Adnan Abdul Qadir, a student of the final semester of the UET, lost his life.

Had he been able to qualify his examinations in time, Adnan would have been passed out of the university two years ago. Fahad Alamgir, who was the main figure behind the tragic incident too was having a similar academic record, reliable sources in the UET said.

The sources said that Fahad was a drop out of the university and an illegal border of the Hostel-III. Having spent two extra years in the varsity, Fahad was bold enough to keep the hostel fellows and even the officials under pressure, a boarder of the same hostel told this correspondent.

When the university administration served him a notice for playing loud music in his room, he called his side-roommate Khalid Ibraheem, an office-bearer of Islami Jamiat Talaba, who he thought had submitted a complaint with the authorities against him, to his room and beat him up with the help of his other fellows.

The university administration took no notice of the incident, which resulted in a more severe clash two days later at the nearby Tribal Hostel, causing injuries to five students from both the sides including Adnan Abdul Qadir, who succumbed to his injuries five days later.

Had the university administration been efficient enough to make timely intervention into the matter, the life of Adnan would have been saved. Even on March 13, when the two student groups faced each other and a clash ensued, the university administration and the heavy contingent of police on the campus could do nothing to avert the severest consequences of the incident.

The university administration was then aware of the fact that Adnan was lying in critical condition in the hospital and his death might trigger violence on the campus, but no prior measure was taken to avoid the violence and when Adnan breathed his last on March 19, a mob of students entered the campus to ransack rooms in the hostel and damaged university property.

Another lapse on part of the universities administration is that it failed to resume educational activities on the campus so far. The officials have been making tall claims like banning student federations, making the universities daytime institutions, etc, but they have failed to reopen the campus. Vice-chancellor UET, Imtiaz Gilani, however, says that they had taken timely steps to avert the incident. "The staff concerned of the university had settled the issue on March 11 after the first clash between the students. I don't know how the severe incident took place after that," the vice-chancellor said after the first meeting of the vice-chancellors at the Governor's House.

The vice-chancellor said the university had expelled six students allegedly involved in the incidents. The university would also take disciplinary action against the students going to media and using the incident for their vested interests. The news

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Students unions
Karachi: There are many people who are associated with different political parties and political organizations and this is good for building a healthy political environment; but when we consider the educational institutions, politics must not be practiced inside these institutions. We have experienced that such political parties and organizations are not practically doing anything for the growth and welfare of the students. Usually clashes take place between the members of different groups of students backed by different political parties, and unfortunately most of the students' time is wasted on minor issues. These clashes lead to shut down of the college or university and ultimately serious students have to suffer. Therefore, it is my request to the authorities concerned that they should strictly ban such politically motivated activities inside the educational institutions so that all the students keep their consideration on studies as they join the institutions only to enhance their education.

The students must not be allowed to participate in any kind of political activity. The situation in educational institutions has deteriorated and it is all becasuse of backing of political parties to different student groups. The students are termed future of the country so they desere to be provided an healthy environment to pursue their studies. Most of the students usually belong to poor or middle class families. It seems that political grouping in educational institutions is a conspiracy against the people of this country to deprive the sons and daughters of the poor of aquiring education.

The politicians call student unions as a base for grooming youth to become leaders of the nation. It is a false claim because in our country leaders are born in the rich families and any person from the poor or middle class has no right to become a leader. So there is no need of student unions in colleges or universities. These should be banned for ever. -By Hira Arshad

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202 lecturers regularized
Peshawar: The Higher Education Department NWFP has regularized the services of 202 Lecturers of Ara bic, Archaeology, Biology, Botany, Chemistry, Comp uter Science, Economics, Electronics, History, English, English (Disable Quota), Maths, Pak Study, Pashto, Physics, Political Science, Statistics, Urdu and Zoology in (BS-17).

These lecturers were appointed on contract basis, with effect from 1-1-2009, said a notification issued here on Monday. F.P report

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Students compete in 10 art categories at GIKI festival
Swabi: Arts lovers from all over the country competed in 10 different art categories in the All Pakistan Arts Festival organised by the Naqsh Arts Society of the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology.

Both boys and girls of different educational institutions participated in the four-day festival, which concluded here on Monday. Members of the Pakistan National Council of Arts, Islamabad, judged the work of the students.

Prof (Dr) Fazal Ahmad Khalid, pro-rector (academic) of the GIK institute, was chief guest at the prize awarding ceremony and Dr S. A. Bazaz, advisor of the Naqsh society, was also present.

The participants said the most vital part of the festival was that it was integrated with students' academic activities and what they read in theory was practically exhibited at the festival.

The organisers said such events enhanced skills and developed personality of the students.

They said it also developed team work spirit and raised the concentration level of the students.

The face painting competition was won by Fatima Waqar of the Khyber college of Dentistry, Peshawar, theme-based painting competition by Mohammad Nadeem of the College of Arts and Design, Punjab University, glass painting competition by Ifra Alwi of the Government College of Home Economics and calligraphy competition by Fahad Mushtaq of the College of Arts and Design, Punjab University.

Similarly, exhibition competition was won by Bisma Khalid of the Government College of Home Economics and mixed media competition by Qaiser Nadeem and Faiza Inam of the College of Arts and Design, Punjab University.

Meanwhile, Baidar Khan was unanimously nominated as president of the Kidmat-i-Mazooran at a meeting of the organisation held here on Monday.

Fazal Dad, general secretary, said a few days ago organisation president Sher Rehman had resigned due to his domestic problems and other engagements. Dawn

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