KIU students stage protest against fee hike

GILGIT: Hundreds of students of the Karakoram International University (KIU) in Gilgit Baltistan boycotted classes and blocked Naltar Expressway in response to the university management’s failure to reverse the fee increase, despite the government’s promise to address the institution’s financial crunch.

The students staged a sit-in against its management at Globe Chowk against the fee hike without providing facilities to students. The students chanted slogans against the KIU vice-chancellor and the university administration.

It has been three months since the university has increased semester fee by over 115 per cent within a year and students are protesting against this hike.

Despite the Gilgit-Baltistan government’s intervention last month, forming a committee to engage with stakeholders, the situation remained unresolved.

The committee, after meeting with the All-Students Alliance of the KIU and the university administration, announced a Rs200 million grant.

Students alleged that the KIU administration was withholding the audit report, which suggested financial mismanagement. The committee had asked the KIU administration to restore registration of students who were expelled for protesting against the administration.

However, the situation escalated on Wednesday when the university announced to hold semester examination from November 27. It also announced that it would not allow the students to enter examination halls without paying the fee.

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On Thursday, a large group of students from KIU’s Gilgit campus protested at Globe Chowk, demanding the reversal of the fee hike, restoration of student union, forming an anti-harassment cell, allowing freedom of speech, a financial audit of the KIU and the postponement of the examination.

They highlighted the inadequate number of classes held, lack of essential facilities like hostels and clean drinking water. They claimed that only seven to eight classes were held in the last three months and their courses have not been completed.  

Meanwhile, Special Assistants to the G-B Chief Minister, Zabiullah and Hussain Shah, presented a Rs50 million cheque to the university management as the first installment of a promised Rs200 million grant.

During the ceremony, a heated exchange occurred between SACM Zabiullah and KIU’s Director of Public Relations Mir Tazeem Akhter, who criticized the government’s efforts as insufficient.

Tazeem said that the government did not fulfill their demand of deploying Rangers at the university. Mir Tazeem termed the given cheque of GB government “bogus”, leading to police intervention to disperse the gathering.

Later, while talking to HUM News English, the SACM on irrigation said that some elements within the university administration did not want these issues to be resolved amicably.

He said that the first installment of the promised amount has been handed over to the university administration and a total of Rs200 million grant will be provided soon.

Terming the demands of students legitimate, he said there would be no compromise on education.

HUM News English attempted to contact Mir Tazeem, however, he was not available for comment till the filing of this report.