Students end protest after Dr Akhter assures to take back mess dues’ increment
We had to protest as Dr Akhter was not heeding to our demands, says a hostel boarder
Jamiat was using protest for personal goals, says Dr Akhter
Lahore
Punjab University’s hostel boarders called off the protest today after the PU Chairman Hall Council Dr Amin Akhter called on the hostel wardens and withdrew the increment in the mess dues, officials claim.
Dr. Akhter told Pakistan Today, “The issue has been solved but I can’t guarantee if students will continue to refrain from protests as Islamic Jamiat Talba (IJT) was now using this tussle for their own political goals”
Students ended the protest after they were guaranteed to take back the increment of mess dues. Dr Akhter had increased the mess dues almost by Rs.4500 and the hostel boarders had staged a protest on Monday.
Dr. Akhter also said that it was natural for them to increase the dues as the electricity and gas bills were soaring as each day passed.
Monday:
The students protested for more than an hour and blocked the canal road affecting the traffic from the campus underpass to the Shah Di Khoi road. The adjoining areas of PU including the Garden Town, Model Town and Muslim Town faced traffic jams. Students holding placards also criticized the ‘rude’ behaviour of newly appointed chairman hall council and asked him to resign.
Rabia Shaheen, another hosteller said that the Dr Akhter never attended to students’ desire for dialogue and they had to block the road to get heard
Sameed Akhter, a commuter in the traffic jam, said that it was not a right way for the students to express their demands and they should care for the commuters as many might be running short in a medical emergency.
Ikhlas Baig, another such commuter running late for work, said, “I had an important meeting for my contract, and this traffic jam has really staunched my business dealings”
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