MUZAFFARABAD: The University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (UAJK) turned into a battleground on Friday as police broke into the City Campus and brutally tortured protesting students.
According to initial reports, the crackdown, which included tear gas shelling and baton charges, left several students injured, while at least eleven were taken into custody, including student leaders Sardar Waleed Ayub and Sardar Saqib Javed.
The protest erupted after students were removed from their examination halls over unpaid dues without prior notice.
Enraged by the move, students staged a demonstration, prompting AJK university vice chancellor to call in the police, who resorted to force to disperse the crowd.
According to Assistant Commissioner Muzaffarabad Syed Ghulam Mohiuddin, the district administration was summoned due to a “deteriorating law and order situation” on campus.
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He claimed that negotiations between the students and the university administration had successfully resolved the matter. However, some students later blocked the university gate, confining female students inside, he added.
He further alleged that students hurled stones at the administration and law enforcement, forcing authorities to take action to restore order.
On the other hand, protesting students accused the administration of escalating tensions by subjecting them to excessive force. They said students have been demonstrating for the past three days against the university’s decision to remove them from exam halls over minor unpaid fees, calling it an act of humiliation.
Commenting on the situation, the UAJK spokesperson told HUM News English that exams commenced peacefully Friday at 10 AM as scheduled. However, a few students insisted on taking the exam despite not clearing their outstanding fees and staged a protest by blocking the main entrance of the City Campus.
“To ensure a smooth examination process, the university administration requested police presence on campus,” he said, adding that negotiations were held with the protesting students, and an agreement was nearly reached but some “miscreants” suddenly resorted to provocation, used inappropriate language, and attacked police personnel and the assistant commissioner.
“Given the situation, law enforcement took ‘limited action’ within the City Campus to restore order. The ‘disruptive elements’ were eventually dispersed, and academic activities resumed as normal,” he added.
The spokesperson maintained that the UAJK remains committed to maintaining a conducive academic environment and will not tolerate any non-academic disruptions. “The administration urges students to uphold discipline and focus on their education to safeguard the university’s scholarly and research-oriented atmosphere.”
In response to the police torture, students have now launched a protest march from the university campus to the Muzaffarabad Press Club, condemning what they termed as “police terrorism.” The demonstration has drawn a large number of participants.
Social media has also been flooded with outrage, with users condemning the police crackdown on students.
It may be added there that this is not the first instance of such incidents in Azad Kashmir. Similar cases of police torture against students have previously been reported at AJK University Muzaffarabad, Poonch University Rawalakot, and Poonch Medical College Rawalakot.