HEC allows universities to hold online exams after days-long protests by students

The Lahore police have registered cases against 500 students protesting outside the University of Central Punjab against on-campus exams.

For the last few days, students have been staging protests outside the campus in favour of online exams. They demand that since their classes were held online due to coronavirus, the exams should also be held online. #StudentsWantOnlineExams has also started trending on Twitter.

Students were beaten by the security of University of Central Punjab for protesting at the main gate. Students are gathering again at the main gate of UCP. Private Universities have become a mafia and it’s time we uproot it! We will not be deterred. #StudentsKoInsafDo pic.twitter.com/h4CO97wTri

— Progressive Students’ Collective (@PSCollective_) January 26, 2021

On Tuesday, the protest turned violent when the police baton-charged and launched a crackdown against the students. The cases against the students have been registered on the basis of the statement of the varsity’s chief security officer. The officer told the police that the students were armed and had organized a sit-in outside the university despite multiple warnings, a private source reported.

Meanwhile, the University of Management and Technology (UMT) and the University of Peshawar have decided to hold exams online after students entered into the campus and demanded online exams.

25 students from UCP are now arrested. Most campuses have reached a compromise with students on a middle way. But some private mafia know they are too powerful to be held accountable. Punjab police is acting like their private goons. Shame! #JusticeForStudents

— Ammar Ali Jan (@ammaralijan) January 26, 2021