Students of QAU hold a protest against HEC

By: Ghulam Rehman

Islamabad: student from Federal Administered Tribal Area (FATA) and Malakand division in Quaid-i-Azam University staged a protest against Higher Education Commission (HEC) for the corruption in the USAID released funds for students here on Friday.

Hundreds of students belong to FATA and Malakand division took part in the protest led by Khan Zeb Burki, a student of M.Phil, they demand a transparent system to distribute the relief funds among the students belong to the affected areas.

Addressing to the procession Mr.Khan Zeb Burki said that USAID had released $ 45 million (Rs. 3.8 billion) in 2009 for 7000 desired students of 28 public sector universities, “each student is supposed to get Rs. 542,857 but HEC and the universities have given only Rs. 82000 to some of the selected lucky ones for their four semester programs, which the university has adjusted their fees” said Mr. Khan.

“Some students have received Rs.82000 instead of Rs.542, 857 and more than 40 students of QAU have not received a single penny till date” he added, “Most of the funds meant for us are not reaching us”.

Speaking to the procession Yaseem khan, another student, said that the university administration and the Higher Education Commission together are creating an atmosphere that prevents the deserved students to get the relief funds.

Yet another student Roman khan wazir in his speech said that the lists of the names of students in whose name funds are being claimed are unreliable. Even the minuscule amounts that do reach us are inadequate, “90% of the funds meant for us are being siphoned of for HEC officials and 10% of the funds are reaching the selected few scholars and students” he added.

Abdul Jabar Khan, Irfan khan and Asad Zia also spoke on the occasion. They said that most of the students and scholars who are the beneficiaries of this aid are internally displaced people; HEC officers are Mr. 90% in corruption because they claimed 90% of released grant for students. So HEC should be renamed as “Higher Corruption Commission (HCC)” they said in anger.