Students of Iqra National University, Hayatabad, Peshawar, protested over issues regarding hostel facilities and fees, with the protest reportedly getting tense.
The students have said they are having a number of difficulties at the hostel of the university like the quality of food, the scarcity of electricity and lack of internet services. Iqra National University is a private university.
One of their fellow students had earlier complained to the warden of the hostel about the problems, the protesting students said.
The students, however, claim that their concerns were not addressed but that the warden had resorted to abusive language, and an expulsion notice had been issued against the student.
The students next went to the University administration and presented their grievances to the registrar and vice chancellor of the university, asking them to act on the issues that were plaguing the hostel residents.
The students stated that their grievances were not taken seriously in the negotiations and that they were not listening to their demands, but rather being spoken down to.
It is reported that the situation worsened during the protest with students claiming that firing occurred during the protest. The students said that the security guards fired on the protest on the registrar’s orders.
The students said police later arrested a university security guard and confiscated a weapon.
The reported incident has shaken students and protesters are demanding action be taken against the responsible persons.
The students have also asked for their hostel and fee-related issues to be resolved and the University administration to take action to rectify the grievances.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Higher Education Regulatory Authority has included Iqra National University as an active university and Hayatabad campus has been registered for 2026.
The university maintains a formal student grievance policy which affords a procedure for students to make complaints in relation to their studies and the environment of the university.