Baloch Students Organization Azad (BSO-Azad), Baloch Students Council (BSC), and Baloch Students Action Committee (BSAC) condemned the decision of the Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, of terminating scholarships for Baloch students.
In a media statement, the spokesperson for the BSO-Azad condemned BZU’s decision, denouncing it as “prejudicial” and an act of “animosity with education.” He said that this decision is tantamount of plunging the future of the Baloch students’ in an abyss of darkness. He said the situation of Balochistan in the past couple of years has driven the Baloch students into stress and anxiety, and some elements are also creating hurdles in their academic path, further aggravating the situation. The reduction of the quota of Balochistan or the termination of scholarships for Baloch students in universities outside Balochistan are attempts of shutting the doors of education on Baloch students, he said.
The spokesperson further said that BSO-Azad has always represented the Baloch students, considering it a national responsibility. In the wake of this “prejudicial” decision, the organization will struggle in concert with the students of Balochistan, he concluded.
The spokesperson for the Baloch Student Council Islamabad condemned the decision as an attempt to belittle the students of Balochistan. He said that relative to other provinces, Balochistan is the most underdeveloped region of Pakistan. To acquire quality education, the Baloch students recourse to the reputable universities throughout Pakistan, sometimes at the expense of enduring xenophobia and intolerant behaviour. He said that the BZU’s decision to terminate the scholarship of Baloch students is an attempt of closing the doors of education on Balochistan. The spokesperson appealed to the Chief Minister of Punjab, Sardar Usman Buzdar, and the Chief Minister of Balochistan, Jam Kamal Khan, to intervene and thwart this attempt to educationally backslide Balochistan.
The spokesperson for BSAC also condemned BZU’s decision in strong words, denouncing it as a “well-planned conspiracy” and the equivalent of “destroying the future” of Baloch students. He said that thousands of Baloch students have been studying in reputable universities of Punjab on the basis of scholarships. Prior to this, the Punjab University also reduced the quota of Balochistan to half. The spokesperson said that the university’s vice-chancellor cannot terminate a scholarship or reduce the quota of a province, as the authority to make such decisions lies with the Chairman of the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan. In this context, this decision is an unconstitutional attempt of shutting the doors of education on Baloch students.
The spokesperson appealed to the federal and provincial governments immediately take notice of BZU’s decision and reinstate the scholarship for the Baloch students.