Students protesting physical exams clash with police, security guards

LAHORE/FAISALABAD: University students’ protests against physical examinations turned violent on Tuesday as they clashed with police and security guards outside their campuses.

In Lahore, some students of the University of Central Punjab, who staged a sit-in outside the campus, pelted stones at security guards. They tried to force their way into the campus but were pushed back by the guards who baton-charged them.

According to the protesters, three students got injured when security guards hurled stones and baton-charged them.

A large number of students staged a sit-in outside a varsity in Faisalabad. The protest turned violent when some of them started pelting stones at its gate and tried to broke into the campus. The police baton-charged the protesters and arrested five students.

Also Read: Universities to decide on taking online exams, says Shafqat Mahmood after students’ protest

Earlier, Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood said that universities had to decide on taking online exams after students’ protest in Lahore against in-person exams.

Responding to the students’ protest, Shafqat Mahmood in a series of messages on the micro-blogging website, Twitter, said that some university students are demanding that their exams should be online as they have been studying online.

“This is a decision for the universities to make but I have asked HEC to consult VCs and see if it is possible given special circumstances this year.”