The students of the Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi (AAUR) staged Tuesday a demonstration outside the Higher Education Commission (HEC). They were protesting against Pakistan Veterinary Medical Council (PVMC) and AAUR for not recognising their degrees.
Carrying placards and banners in their hands, dozens of protesting students assembled outside the HEC building to slam AAUR and PVMC for not awarding them the PVMC-approved degrees.
“It’s a responsibility of the HEC to tell the varsity to give us the PVMC-approved degrees… as at the time of admissions we were assured of the same degree,” said Arshad Khan a student. The students have been protesting for the last five several days at various venues including at Parade Ground against the non-accreditation of their degrees.
Later, however, on the request of HEC high-ups, a group of protesting students had a meeting with HEC advisor on HRD Dr Riaz Hussain Qureshi and other officials. They assured the students that the HEC would take up the issue with AAUR and PVMC.
Upon that the students ended their protest.
“The HEC has assured BSc (Veterinary Sciences) students that it would resolve the issue of their degrees’ recognition with the Pakistan Veterinary Medical Council (PVMC),” said a press release issued here. During the meeting, the students voiced their concerns.
Dr Qureshi assured them that the HEC was fully cognizant of their problem and hoped it would be resolved on priority basis. “We shall hold a meeting in which representatives of PVMC and your university will be invited to discuss the reservations of the council so that deficiency, if any, may be removed and your degrees are duly recognised,” he said.
Dr Qureshi said that this will also pave the way for veterinary students of other four universities to get their degrees recognised. These include Islamia University, Bahawalpur, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Lasbela University of Agriculture, Water and Marine Sciences, Uthal and University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Muzaffarabad.
