Rafi Khan
It is the 34th day that students of Ex-FATA and Balochistan are protesting against the cancellation of HEC Indigenous Medical Scholarships and Seats in the extremely cold weather of Islamabad. But the government is still showing numbness. How strange it is for a society where students are forced to go on protests and finally hunger strikes instead of getting an education.
This project was started back in Musharaf time for the less developed areas. It was offering 29 medical seats along with scholarships, in which 14 seats were for Ex-FATA and 15 for Balochistan. In 2018, when PTI came in power, PM increased the seats to 265 medical seats and 500 scholarships. But again every year students had to record protests for weeks to get them implemented. This year again, the same happens. Legally everything has been in the favor of students including Resolution 433 of the Senate which ensures this project till 2022, but still, things are unclear and students are not given the seats.
Remember these students have been working hard for 18-20 years just to get their dream of white-coat. Unfortunately, they are now protesing in freezing temperature.
On 29 Dec 2021, HEC sent its proposal sheet to PMC after the huge pressure of 28 days protest. In this sheet HEC has given two options to PMC for the solution of this issue;
- Allocation of 265 seats in different public sector medical colleges as the previous year.
- Provision of funds from Benazir Income Support or the funds of PMC for these scholarships.
While in response, PMC has its rigid attitude calling it the domain of HEC. PMC considers HEC as a hurdle in this process and vice versa. This cycle of tactics is repeated every year. Students of Ex-FATA and Balochistan have to go through these sleepless and frosty nights for getting their education. They knock on every door.
Hopes die down when you see the attitude of your representatives when they turn a deaf ear to you. We must encourage those who are on the ground for getting their rights.
Peace comes from Education as it is a light where darkness Ends!
Ex-Fata and Baloch Students have decided that we do not go to darkness further, but we will go to Light. Just for light, they are in the freezing darkness of Islamabad for more than 6 weeks. The students in protest request the Prime Minister Imran Khan to pay his attention to this grave issue. Education being the basic right must not be subjected to the vicious rounds of protests every year.
Members from Progressive Students Federation, Awami Workers Party, Progressive Students Collective, Revolutioary Students Front, JKNSF and other organizations showed solidarity to the students sitting in protesting camp outside HEC.
It is Completely injustice. They don’t consider the people of ex-fata as a human being. Their actions compell the students to adopt territorial behavior.