ISLAMABAD– Authorities arrested the students protesting outside the Higher Education Commission (HEC) office in Islamabad against online exams, on Thursday. The students chanted slogans against the government and demanded the cancellation of the matriculation and intermediate exams.
According to the protesters, they were taught online under the arrangements by the government and that that they couldn’t prepare well as a result. They went on to ask Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood to either approve their demands or tender his resignation. The students also announced to continue their protest until the approval of their demands. A heavy contingent of police was present with armored vehicles on the occasion to deal with any untoward incident.
Conducting their operation against the protesters, police apprehended several students from the scene. The protests against online exams by students have been ongoing for the past several months. In January, the HEC took note of the concerns raised by students that their examinations should be conducted online.
The apprehensions of students were reviewed carefully in consultation with the VCs of all the provinces and regions, keeping in view the difficulties brought about by the pandemic as well as the opening of universities from February 1. The official mentioned that the three-hour meeting had ended without a definitive conclusion as the VCs present were split on the decision to hold online examinations while it was noted that some universities had already taken students’ final exams online.
SOURCE: THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE
