PESHAWAR, Oct 8: The students of Agricultural University here on Monday staged a protest demonstration against their teachers for boycotting classes.

The teachers of the university boycotted classes to seek 20 per cent increase in their salaries. Holding banners and placard, scores of Agricultural University students gathered outside Peshawar Press Club and chanted slogans against their teachers for boycotting classes.

The protesting students were led by office-bearers of Islami Jamiat Tulaba Talking to journalists, Khawar Ali, a leader of the protesting students, said that teachers boycotted classes on personal grounds that resulted in wasting their precious time.

He said that students belonging to faraway areas were living in the hostels to attend classes. He said that they were not ready to spend money if classes were not held at the university.

Mr Ali asked the teachers to put an end to their boycott and focus their attention on the students, who had come from remote areas to get education. “The teachers have no right to waste our time and money,” he said.

Mr Ali also asked Class-III and Class-IV employees of the university to end their protest as it would ruin future of thousands of students. The government was also responsible for the situation, he said, adding the authorities should pay immediate attention to resolve the issue so that students could continue their studies. The leader of the protesting students threatened that the proposed increase in university fee would be protested strongly. He said that most of the students belonged to poor families and could not afford increase in fee.

The poor students would be forced to say goodbye to their studies if the fee was increased by the university authorities, he added. The students threatened to continue their protest if government failed to resolve the issue immediately. “We will have no option but to continue protest to get our rights,” the protesters said.