The Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad has expelled at least 79 students for “violating institutional discipline” over a clash between Baloch and Pashtun student groups that left several injured and caused extensive damage to the university.
In a tweet, the QAU registrar said that the university has canceled the degrees of at least 79 students for their involvement in the clash.
Quaid-i-Azam University has expelled/cancelled degrees of 79 students involved in executing on-campus violence, taking law in hand, disturbing academic peace and violating institutional discipline.
— Raja Qaiser Ahmed (@rajaqaiserahmed) March 8, 2023
He said that the step was taken as the students were involved in “executing on-campus violence, taking law in hand, disturbing academic peace and violating institutional discipline”.
Earlier, several videos of the violent clash between the two ethnic student groups made rounds on social media.
After the clash, Rangers, police forces, and anti-terrorism squads were deployed on the campus. The police also arrested five students.
The university administration also issued directives for all students to vacate the hostels immediately. A video of girl students vacating the hostels in the middle of the night also emerged on social media.
These measures were criticised by the students and civil society activists as they protested against the crackdown on students.
The protesters demanded that the university is “demilitarized” and all the arrested students be released. The protesters also claimed that many students were arrested without First Information Reports (FIRs).
This is not the first time violent clashes have erupted between student groups at QAU. In 2017, two ethnic student groups clashed, resulting in the deployment of Rangers within the university premises to curtail the violent situation.
