FAISALABAD, May 8: In the wake of the students’ protest drive over the accreditation issue, the faculty members of the National Textile University divided into two groups – one of them outspokenly favouring the young learners and the other resolving to stay with the administration.

The situation emerged after a meeting of a select few faculty members, convened by NTU vice-chancellor Masood Biyabani, at his residence the other day. Sources privy to the meeting told Dawn that the VC had asked his subordinates to suggest ways and means for ‘suppressing’ the protest drive of the students. The protest, the VC said, had spoiled the campus atmosphere.

The meeting, sources said, panicked those teachers who were not invited. Subsequently, they decided to support the students.

Hearing about the meeting, some of the students emerged there and asked the participants to have a sitting with them over the issues, but the teachers turned down the request.

Some teachers of the ‘dissident faction’ also attended the function organised by the Student Action Committee on Wednesday, which had been protesting against the administration since April 2.

The students have been demanding the university’s accreditation by the Pakistan Engineering Council, expulsion of the All-Pakistan Textile Mills Association (the organising body of the institution) and resignation of the VC.

Dr Mumtaz Malik, a former head of the NTU disciplinary committee who was one of the participants in the meeting, said he openly supported the students for their accreditation stance. “The students have been protesting for legitimate demands,” he said, adding that some people were trying to spoil the campus peace.

He said the university administration had failed to get accreditation with the PEC, which had earned the institution a bad name.

Sources quoted some university officials as saying that “the teachers supporting the students are playing the dirty game for their vested interests”. Instead of suggesting ways and means to improve things, they said, the teachers were fanning the flame.

The VC has been insisting that a committee had been constituted to deal with the PEC recognition issue and the students have time and again being apprised of the developments.