FAISALABAD, Dec 29: The tug of war between the University of Agriculture management and the Students Action Committee took a serious turn after their talks over the issue of expulsion of students from the campus failed on Wednesday.
Following the failure of negotiations and, what students said, indifference of vice-chancellor Dr Bashir Ahmad, scores of students protested on the campus and also marched through various city roads.
Carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans against the VC and the university administration, they students described the decision of suspending 26 students from the roll as a result of personal grudge as an unjustified step.
They said the students had been kicked out of the campus over differences between two groups of teachers and the administrative staff. There was no law and order problem on the Campus, which could be judged from the fact that before the expulsion of student, not a single incident had been reported to police or noticed by the media and university.
The student leaders said 26 of their fellows had been expelled from the campus for a period of one to three years by the VC for their alleged involvement in political activities leading to lawlessness on the campus.
They claimed that the victim students and their parents had formally lodged mercy petitions with the VC, who after early assurances refused to fulfil his commitment.
They threatened if the UAF administration failed to withdraw the decision of suspension of students within few days, the students would stage sit-ins in front of the offices of high administrative functionaries and also involve the students of other institutions in the protest movement.
DUAL CARRIAGEWAY: District Nazim Zahid Nazir has said the dual carriageway between Faisalabad and Lahore will be completed at a cost of Rs4 billion. He was speaking to the participants in a meeting held in connection with the inauguration of a disposal works and sewerage system at Khurrianwala, about 14 kilometres from here, on Wednesday.
He said Khurrianwala was being linked with major towns and villages through cemented roads. Besides, it would have two colleges and schools. The Nazim said remarkable development had been done in Jaranwala and Khurrianwala due to efforts of the tehsil representatives.
He said the five-year development plan of the district had been approved by the district council under which besides development work, special attention would be paid to the promotion of education.
"Every child in the district will be seen going to school and no one will collect papers from roads by 2010," he hoped. Mr Nazir said steps were also being taken for the promotion of sports and two complexes, one each in Khurrianwala and Jaranwala, would be constructed.
Jaranwala Tehsil Nazim Abdul Rehman Rana said the sewerage project of the area would be completed at an estimated cost of Rs20 million and it would benefit the entire population of Khurrianwala town. He said a water purification plant had been set up in the tehsil to provide purified drinking water to the people.
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