MANSEHRA: The Hazara University has delayed its examinations for a week after the district administration sealed it as its vice-chancellor, 14 staffers and scores of students tested positive for Covid-19.

“The district administration has sealed the university for 10 days as the vice-chancellor, 14 staff members and many students have tested positive for Covid-19,” spokesman for the university Mohammad Shahid told mediapersons here on Sunday.

He said that vice-chancellor Dr Jamil Ahmad and the infected staffers and students had been quarantined at their respective destinations on the orders of the health department.

The screening of students and staff members started last week at Hazara University has been completed while the Communication and Media Studies Department was sealed last week after its faculty members and students tested positive for Covid.

VC, 14 staffers also test positive

According to a notification issued by the district administration, the varsity would remain sealed from Feb 6 to Feb 15. It ordered the Baffa-Pakhal tehsil municipal administration to carry out chlorination of the university buildings to contain spread of coronavirus.

A statement issued by Dr Azhar Hussain Shah, controller of examinations of Hazara University, said the terminal examinations had been postponed for eight days after the varsity’s closure. It said the examinations earlier scheduled from Feb 7 would now start from Feb 15.

TRADERS’ BODIES: Polling for the central organisation and 14 wards of traders’ bodies in Mansehra would be held on Feb 14.

“The traders are without their bodies and we have set Feb 14 as the polling date after the labour court allowed us to hold these elections as per our convenience,” Fayyaz Solaria, chairman of the committee constituted by the traders for their elections, told mediapersons here on Sunday.

Flanked by the committee members, he said that the delay in the elections was caused because of the litigation at the Peshawar High Court’s Abbottabad bench.

“The PHC referred the case to the labour court, which allowed us to hold the elections,” Mr Solaria said. He said polling would be held at the tehsil municipal administration’s hall.

Published in Dawn, February 7th, 2022