Punishment to Quaid-i-Azam University students

Quaid-i-Azam University students punished for campus brawl
Islamabad, Oct 19: The Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) has expelled 10 students for a year, and awarded lesser punishments to 23 others, for their role in the ugly ethnic clashes that rocked the campus over the weekend.

University sources said on Sunday that an emergency disciplinary committee constituted by the vice-chancellor decided the punishments after inquiring into the brawls between students belonging to Punjab Council and Mehran Council in which guns were also used.

All those punished have the right to appeal to the QAU Syndicate against the action taken against them.

Dr Aslam Baig, dean of the Natural Sciences department and resident officer of the university said that the committee found the 33 students guilty of rowdyism, smuggling in weapons, attacking rivals or helping the two councils which represent, like other bodies, students of different regions of the country studying in the university.

Dr Baig said: "The committee saw to it that the guilty was punished, but not in a way that destroyed his future."

About the 10 students expelled from the university - five each from Punjab and Mehran councils, he said they had been expelled for two semesters for their involvement in bringing in weapons and firing shots to terrorise their rivals.

Besides the expulsion, the committee imposed a fine of Rs25,000 on each of them and asked them to quit the university hostel if they were residing there.

Another 12 students - six each from the two councils - were expelled from the hostels for attacking their rivals.

They were found leading their group from the front. They were also fined Rs15,000 each.

Three more students were expelled from the hostels for defying the university administration's orders to calm down and settle their differences through negotiations. They allegedly put up resistance instead.

Eight students were served warnings for their participation in the brawls and attacking their rivals. However, all the students can appeal to the university syndicate against the punishment awarded to them. The syndicate would review the inquiry and the punishment when any appeal is submitted to it, according to Dr Baig.

QAU will communicate to the families of the students the action it took against their ward for creating law and order situation and spreading ethnic bias, he added.

Dr Baig said the university will reopen on Thursday and the students arriving to resume their studies will also be reminded of behaving responsibly and maintaining discipline and academic atmosphere at the campus.

QAU was closed after ugly clashes between the ethnic groups of Punjabi and Sindhi students over hostel accommodation on October 13 and 14 after which all nine boys' hostels were emptied of their residents.

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Schools temporarily closed
Islamabad: Many private schools in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad have been temporarily closed due to security concerns, however, there is no specific threat to any of the educational institutions, it was learnt on Sunday.

The closure of schools, especially English-medium institutions, has not been confirmed by government quarters, and it is believed that the school administrations have taken the decision on their own.

There are media reports that besides the twin cities, some private schools as well as those being run by the Federal Directorate of Education in other cities would also remain closed for few days. Dawn

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Delay in issuance of UK visa by British High Commission
Islamabad: I have been reading stories in different newspapers about visa delays by British High Commission Islamabad and UK Home Secretary Alan Johnson has meet President Zardari and PM Yusuf Raza Gilani and this issue been raised by them. However one is dismayed to note that they have been mostly talking about students visa and business visas etc.

I just want to appeal to British High Commission and Mr Alan Johnson Home Sectary UK that there are some other type as well, such as settlement visa and allowed appeal cases etc.

We are victim of these delays as well. Our appeals have been allowed by Asylum and Immigration Tribunal UK. Many people are waiting for so many months for a call and some are waiting for their passport back. I am victim of this process as well I have re submitted my passport and it was 3 months ago. There are people in worse condition too. I know some people who have been waiting for more then 6 months without a reply. We are away from our families and partners for a long time as it took more than a year for appeal. It is indefensible for the British High Commission to take so long just to stamp a visa.

And more worrisome is that there is no time frame for such of cases. If we call Gerry's they say time frame is INDEFINITE which is totally unfair. This inordinate delay has even broken many marriages. There are some unfortunate persons who in accordance with requirements of law submitted TB certificate with their applications. If six months elapse the application is liable to be returned for a fresh TB certificate which is very bothersome. This is absolutely unfair.

It is good to learn that the British High Commission has a mind to clear the backlog. I am sure the authorities in British High Commission will take a compassionate view of all visa cases. The news

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PPLA Call to regularise lecturers
Rawalpindi: The Punjab Professors and Lectures' Association (PPLA) Rawalpindi chapter on Sunday threatened to launch an agitation from October 31 if the provincial government did not regularise the services of 77 lecturers working in eight degree colleges in the city.

According to a press release, PPLA Rawalpindi chapter President Mohammad Ilyas Qureshi and Secretary General Rauf Ahmed Shah demanded that the provincial government should also regularise the services of the lecturers like it had done in case of 150,000 employees.

They said all the 77 lecturers had been working on contractual basis since 1998 and had not got any pay increase during the period.

He said they were imparting education to girl students but the provincial government had turned a blind eye to their problems.

They said they were not provided annual increments since 1998 and forced to rely on the fixed salary despite the skyrocketing inflation. They said the ever increasing inflation had made the teachers' lives miserable as they were finding it difficult to make ends meet. Dawn

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