DLP Report
PESHAWAR
A violent crackdown on Pashtun students at Bahauddin Zakaria University (BZU), Multan, has sparked outrage, with the Awami National Party (ANP) strongly condemning the university administration and police for their actions.
In a statement issued from ANP headquarters the party spokesperson Engineer Ihsanullah Khan has termed the incident as discrimination against students from smaller nationalities in educational institutions in Punjab.
ANP leader termed the violence against students as “regrettable” and denounced the targeting of students based on their ethnicity. He stated that this pattern of discrimination against Pashtun and Baloch students in Punjab universities has been repeated multiple times, questioning whether it has become an unofficial state policy.
“Why is there always an attempt to resolve issues through violence when it comes to Pashtuns and Baloch?” Khan asked. “On one hand, they have been thrown into an imposed war, and on the other, the doors of education are being shut on them. Such actions are fueling further feelings of deprivation among smaller nationalities.”
Reports indicate that several Pashtun students were arrested during the crackdown, while others faced disciplinary action, including the cancellation of their admissions. Student activists argue that demanding legitimate rights in educational institutions should not be treated as a crime and that violence against students is intolerable.
The ANP has called for the immediate release of the arrested students and urged the authorities to reinstate those whose admissions were revoked. The party emphasized that educational institutions should be safe spaces for free expression and equal rights rather than centers of oppression and discrimination.
