Quaid e Azam University Hostel Eviction Sparks Outrage
The Quaid-i-Azam University hostel eviction has raised questions about the balance between maintaining order and respecting students' rights, with many calling for a more nuanced approach to handling campus disputes. The incident has also sparked a wider debate about the role of police in university affairs and the need for greater transparency and accountability in administrative decision-making.
Islamabad Police shifted over 70 students from Quaid-i-Azam University hostels during an operation to vacate the premises, sparking widespread criticism and a legal dispute. The students were resisting the university administration's instructions to vacate the hostels despite a deadline of July 13, 2025, for summer vacations.
The police claimed they were assisting the university administration, while the students' lawyer alleged that over 70 students were being kept in illegal detention without an FIR. Former senator Afrasiab Khattak termed the police crackdown "shameful" and demanded the students' immediate release. The incident has sparked criticism from academics, activists, and former human rights minister Dr Shireen Mazari, who questioned the university's decision to close the hostels and the police's handling of the situation.
The university administration stated that the students had been given repeated warnings to vacate the hostels, but some refused, and the police were called in to assist. The Islamabad High Court had earlier dismissed the students' petition challenging the university's administrative action. Human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir alleged that 72 students were being held without formal charges and denied access to legal representation.
The incident has highlighted concerns over students' rights, university autonomy, and the role of police in campus matters. Public figures, including former senator Afrasiab Khattak and academics, have condemned the arrests and called for student rights and institutional transparency. The exact circumstances of the students' detention remain unclear, and the university administration's decision to close the hostels has been questioned.