According to reports, Baloch students at the Islamia University Bahawalpur have been protesting for the past several days against harassment on the varsity campus, hostel allotments, prejudicial behaviour of the varsity administration and the racial profiling of Baloch students.
Speaking at a press conference, the Baloch students said that they are being harassed on the university campus on an almost daily basis. The student leaders said that at least nine of their fellow students were suspended for protesting.
The student leaders say that the Baloch students with meagre resources work day and night to secure scholarships at different universities in Punjab, but they are being mistreated and even forced to abandon their education and head back home. They said that it is our national duty to stand beside our fellow students when they need us the most.
Baloch students in other universities in Pakistan have also expressed solidarity with the Baloch students protesting at the Islamic University Bahawalpur.
The Baloch Students Action Committee carried out a rally in support of the Baloch students in Bahawalpur. The speakers said that certain elements are deliberately creating hurdles in way of the education of Baloch students in Bahawalpur and other areas of Punjab. They said that universities are reducing the quota of Balochistan and the tuition fee is being exponentially increased.
The speakers said that the university vice-chancellors are directly responsible for all the problems that Baloch students are facing. They said that the students protesting in Bahawalpur are sending a clear message to their vice-chancellor that they won’t back down in the face of these underhanded tactics.