July 30, 2025
By Iqra Manzoor
LAHORE
Islamabad Police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against students of Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) following a forceful operation to vacate university hostels, an action that has sparked outrage among students, rights activists, and political figures.
The FIR, lodged on the complaint of the university’s Chief Security Officer Col (R) Nadeem Abbas, invokes Sections 353, 186, 341, 427, 506 (ii), 147, and 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code, which pertain to obstructing public servants, rioting, intimidation, and damage to property.
Videos spark outcry
Videos circulating on social media since early Tuesday showed police personnel stationed outside QAU hostels, with some clips appearing to show students being arrested or forcibly removed. The footage triggered widespread criticism, with many questioning the use of force against students and alleging that more than 70 were detained.
Police and university defend the operation
Islamabad Police stated the operation was carried out at the written request of the QAU administration.
“At the request of the university administration, Islamabad Police provided legal police assistance. The students had vacated 11 hostels, while regarding the remaining four, some students were not vacating them despite instructions from the university administration and were residing there illegally,” the statement read.
“Those students who resisted this peaceful process have been shifted from the hostel, and now legal action will be taken based on the written request of the university administration.”
The university administration, reportedly in its own statement, said the hostels were temporarily closed from July 13, 2025, for annual maintenance and renovation. It added that most students had complied with the deadline, but some continued to occupy hostels despite repeated extensions.
The administration also pointed out that the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had dismissed the students’ petition challenging the eviction, reaffirming QAU’s autonomy under the Quaid-i-Azam University Act 1973.
“Quaid-i-Azam University once again reiterates its commitment to providing a safe and conducive environment for students while maintaining discipline, academic standards, and institutional autonomy,” it stated.
FIR allegations
The FIR alleges that students threatened the administration with “dire consequences” and attacked security guards during the eviction, disrupting what the authorities described as a “peaceful process.”
Students denounce eviction as unjust
Voicepk spoke to Dadullah Dummar, Vice Chairman of the Pakhtoon Student Council, who dismissed the administration’s claims, calling the eviction “unjust and punitive.”
“Maintenance of the hostels is just an excuse. We have repeatedly requested repairs, especially for washrooms, but the administration always said there was no budget. Now they suddenly want renovations and force us out,” Dummar said.
He added that students complied with the court order and vacated the rooms, yet were arrested while sitting outside.
“For whatever reasons they wanted us to vacate, we complied. We were sitting in the lawn after leaving our rooms when they came with the police and arrested students,” he said.
Dummar, who is completing his thesis, stressed that many students from marginalized areas cannot afford private accommodation or return home due to lack of resources and internet access.
“The students have already paid six months’ dues, yet we are not allowed to stay in hostels. How is this fair?” he questioned, claiming that 72 students were taken into custody without being presented in court.
Council calls operation a ‘Militarized Crackdown’
The Pakhtoon Students Council, QAU condemned the operation, terming it a “militarized assault” on unarmed students.
“At around 5 AM, over 40 armed officers, backed by 400 police personnel and 20 prisoner vans, stormed the hostels in a violent raid targeting students engaged in a peaceful sit-in demanding a summer semester,” the Council stated.
It alleged the raid, supervised by the SSP Operations and Campus Manager Col. Nadeem, left dozens assaulted and at least 70 students arrested, including council representatives. The Council accused the administration of duplicity, claiming it promised dialogue while facilitating the crackdown.
“This is not just a crackdown on QAU students, it is a message to all students across Pakistan: dissent will be met with force. We reject this politics of fear,” it added.
The Council reported that 43 of the 72 detained students were released, with the rest expected to follow.
Detention of Inam Tareen
In a joint statement with QSF, the Council called the detention of Chairman Inam Tareen and other students “a disgraceful and alarming moment in student activism.” It alleged arrests were made without warrants, students were denied legal representation, and many remain in unlawful custody.
“Peaceful students demanding justice and the continuation of their semester were met with baton charges, rubber bullets, and state violence. This repressive crackdown was meant to silence truth. We will not be silenced,” the statement said.
The Council demanded the immediate release of all arrested students, a transparent judicial inquiry into the raid, and legal action against those responsible.
Police confirm 22 arrests
Islamabad Police spokesperson Taqi Jawad, however, confirmed only 22 arrests.
“The police have 22 students under arrest and they have been produced in court today,” he told Voicepk.
He added that the sections and specifics of the case are under investigation.
Rights Activists and Politicians Condemn Crackdown
The police operation drew sharp condemnation from human rights defenders, political figures, and academics.
Human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir, in a post on X, contested the police narrative, questioning why entry was barred to the Secretariat Police Station.
“We just had a meeting with the vice chancellor [of QAU] and he clearly stated that he did not make any such request,” she said, alleging that over 70 students were being kept in “illegal detention without any FIR” and that authorities were refusing to share a copy of the FIR.
Former senator Afrasiab Khattak called the crackdown “shameful,” stating,
“Forty students are arrested because they are requesting to be allowed to stay in hostels to prepare for their exams. They must be immediately released and the issues should be resolved by negotiations. Campuses are an important part of civil society.”
Academic and activist Dr. Taimur Rehman criticized the arrests, noting,
“The students were protesting to start the summer semester. Imagine. They were arrested because they want to study.”
Artist and activist Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Junior also condemned the arrests, saying,
“Universities in Pakistan have turned against their own students. Seventy students from Quaid-i-Azam University have been arrested in Islamabad for simply requesting that hostels be kept open over the summer. Keep our students safe! Keep campuses safe!”
Former human rights minister Dr. Shireen Mazari expressed strong criticism of the incident in a series of posts on X, echoing calls for the immediate release of detained students.
Academic and activist Dr. Taimur Rehman, speaking to Voicepk, said the arrests raised serious concerns.
“I am not aware of the exact details of the case, but what concerns me is that over 70 students have been arrested. Arrest is not a minor thing, if 70 students have been detained, there should be an investigation. Government and human rights institutions must determine whether excessive force was used in this incident,” he said, adding that the scale of the arrests was “pretty excessive” and warranted a thorough inquiry.
Mounting calls for accountability
The heavy-handed eviction and arrests have amplified concerns over the state’s treatment of students and academic freedom. With conflicting accounts from police, university officials, and rights advocates, demands for transparency and the immediate release of detained students are growing louder.