SUKKUR, Oct 12: At least ten students were injured when police used batons to disperse students of Ghulam Mohammad Mahar Medical College who were protesting at the city bypass on Sunday against non-registration of their college with the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC).

Hundreds of students and their parents took out a procession from the Civil Hospital. Shouting slogans against the provincial government.

The procession marching through various thoroughfares reached the city bypass where they staged a sit-in for around three hours. The protest resulted in suspension of vehicular traffic at both ends of the bypass.

A heavy contingent of police reached the spot and asked the protesters to disperse. On their refusal, the police resorted to baton-charge due to which ten students, whose names could not be ascertained, received minor injuries. It was only after the police action that the protesting students dispersed.

Future of hundreds of students of the Ghulam Mohammad Mahar Medical College is at stake as the provincial and district governments have failed to ensure that the college meet the requirements for its recognition by the PMDC.

It may be mentioned that a week ago the PMDC had released a list of recognised colleges of Sindh, which did not include the name of the college in question.

The PMDC has been urging the Sindh government for the last three to four years to complete the requisites for its recognition including appointment of qualified professors, assistant professors and other staff but to no avail.

The college was temporarily established in an adjoining building of the Sukur Civil Hospital in 2003 on the directives of the then Sindh chief minister, Ali Mohammad Mahar.

After his resignation from the post of chief minister, on the directives of Sukur District Nazim Syed Nasir Hussain Shah 50 acres were acquired near Sukkur airport and foundation stone of the college building was laid by the then Sindh chief minister, Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim.

Despite the passage of five years, no construction work has so far been started and the authorities concerned defer the matter every year on one pretext or the other.

During the past few weeks, perturbed students of the college have started holding various rallies and demonstrations against the growing uncertainty and to press the relevant authorities to come up with a solution to their problem and that too at the earliest.

As a last resort final year students are desperately trying to get their college’s affiliation with the Chandka Medical College as well as to get some of them shifted to other medical colleges of Sindh.

It is learnt that not only the district and provincial government officials, but also the ruling party’s MNAs and

MPAs also appear unconcerned with the genuine demand of the students and have been giving only lip service to them.

The protesting students have threatened to hold protest demonstrations in Karachi and Islamabad as well.