Balochistan University Closed Indefinitely After Clash Among Students
Reported by ARY News, Balochistan University has been indefinitely closed due to an ongoing conflict between two student factions. A recent altercation between these groups on campus resulted in injuries to seven students, who were promptly taken to a nearby hospital. The university administration, through an official press release, has announced the closure of the institution until further notice. Concurrently, all students have been instructed to vacate the hostel premises immediately.
In a separate incident, approximately 60 students have been apprehended following a clash between two groups at Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) in Islamabad. The Daily Jang, a Pakistani media outlet, has reported that financial challenges have beset Balochistan University, leading to the suspension of all departments due to insufficient funding. This dire situation has also triggered a strike by both teaching and non-teaching staff members due to unpaid salaries.
Balochistan's oldest academic institution is currently facing a critical predicament, as per statements from Chief Minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo. The Chief Minister asserts the urgent need for revolutionary measures to revitalize the education sector. The Daily Jang also highlights that the annual budget of the university exceeds Rs 3 billion, with a present deficit of over Rs 1 billion, underscoring the necessity for an immediate and lasting solution.
Conversely, Qudrat, a Pakistani vernacular media source, and the Haq Do Tehreek (Give Rights Movement) emphasized in April that Balochistan has become a challenging environment for political activists. Protests demanding the release of individuals such as Maulana Hidayatur Rahman and Mahil Baloch, as well as the recovery of missing persons, have reportedly taken place across Balochistan, according to Haq Do Tehreek. During this year's Eid observance, demonstrators donned black armbands to convey solidarity with grieving families and to criticize the government's perceived lack of empathy towards the issue. These protesters collectively called for the safe return of Baloch's "forcibly disappeared" citizens.
This demonstration follows a recent news report by Sindh Express in which lawyer Habib Tahir, the vice-chairman of the Pakistan Human Rights Commission, expressed deep concern regarding missing individuals in Balochistan. Tahir allegedly stated that Pakistan is engaging in widespread forced disappearances, abductions, and enforced vanishing acts as a means to suppress opposition.