Quetta, May 21 (IANS) Students of the University of Balochistan sub-campus held a protest in Mastung district of Pakistan’s Balochistan province against delay in the distribution of the laptops under Prime Minister’s Youth Laptop Scheme and the prolonged internet disruption in the area, local media reported.
As per reports, a large number of students gathered outside Mastung’s Degree College and blocked the national highway, causing long queues of vehicles, The Balochistan Post reported. Traffic on the national highway remained suspended for hours due to the protest held by students.
The protesting students said they had not received laptops under the government’s youth laptop scheme despite completing all the formalities and documentation process several months ago. They accused the authorities of using delaying tactics, which they stressed was impacting their academic activities.
The protesters slammed the authorities for prolonged internet shutdown in Mastung and nearby areas, stressing that internet disruption had severely impacted online classes, research work, assignments and other educational activities. They accused the authorities of not addressing the issue seriously, The Balochistan Post reported.
The protesters shouted slogans against the government and relevant institutions and urged the authorities to distribute laptops under the scheme and restore internet services in Mastung. The students warned that the protest would be intensified if their demands are not addressed immediately.
Earlier this week, leaders of the Academic Staff Associations of Balochistan University voiced serious concerns over non-recovery of kidnapped top officials of Gwadar University.
This happened after abduction of Vice Chancellor of Gwadar University Abdul Razzaq Sabir, pro-Vice Chancellor Syed Manzoor Ahmed, lecturer Irshad Ahmed and their staff members from a highway in Mastung district while they were travelling to Quetta, leading Pakistani daily Dawn reported.
In a joint statement, leaders of the Academic Staff Association of University of Balochistan and the Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (Fapuasa), Balochistan chapter, said that the kidnapped top officials of the University of Gwadar have not been recovered by the government even after so many days, causing concern among faculty members and students of universities in Balochistan.
They called for the immediate recovery of the Vice Chancellor, pro-Vice Chancellor, lecturer and other staff members. They noted that several teachers had been repeatedly attacked and many faculty members had been killed and others forcibly disappeared in the past, Dawn reported. According to the statement, Dilawar Khan, a professor in the Khuzdar campus of the University of Balochistan and professor Ghamkhwar Hayat were also killed recently.
–IANS
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