Home LifestyleEducation #ReleaseAllStudents: Students Protesting for Equal Opportunity & Internet Facility for Online Classes, Arrested in Quetta

#ReleaseAllStudents: Students Protesting for Equal Opportunity & Internet Facility for Online Classes, Arrested in Quetta

by Hareem Zafar
balochistan news

More than 50 students, including female doctors, have been arrested in Quetta, Balochistan today over a peaceful protest. The students were arrested from outside Quetta Press Club for protesting against the decision of conducting online classes, despite internet unavailability in Balochistan, GB and ex-FATA.

Higher Education Commission (HEC) decided to commence classes online despite non-availability of internet in occupied Balochistan. The protest was organized by Balochistan Students Alliance and the only purpose of the protest was to raise their voices against genuine student concerns.

Pakistan army had suspended internet facility in may regions long time back citing security issue in occupied Balochistan. #ReleaseAllStudents and #SayNotoOnlineClasses have been trending on twitter all day today, Wednesday.

A picture below shows students going to mountain tops and studying in order to catch internet signals.

Ever since the Pandemic happened and the number of cases soared, all universities, colleges and schools were closed to prevent further spread and shifted classes were shifted online, via skype and zoom sessions.

Since the internet plays a vital role in decision of ‘work from home’ and ‘online classes’ being implemented successfully, the concerns of these students are justified. There has been a surge in digital videos, conference calls via Skype, Zoom apps and a rise in data and internet packages.

A peaceful protest is being conducted since weeks now against unbearable fees & digital divide but no one supported them. There was no violence recorded. Yet they were brutally lathi charged today. Several people have tweeted in support against this injustice and these students.

Acquiring education is the right of every citizen, be it poor or an upper class man. This is  a fight that every oppresses student must fight.

https://twitter.com/Advjalila/status/1275778713326583808

Without the internet students all over occupied Balochistan have been missing out on their classes. They will not be able to cover the coursework and clear exams.

Many people have condemned the arrest and mistreatment of female students and doctors. They are requesting civil authorities to give protection against such injustices; rather than  providing justice, they are tortured.

According to the publication, news intervention.com, the protesting students said: “The HEC’s decision for beginning online classes is one sided and prejudiced, which completely ignores the ground realities. The HEC’s decision makes it clear that the students of Balochistan are not the part of this education system, which is an attempt to keep away the Baloch students from education.”

 

Mahrang Baloch is one such peaceful protestor. She posted a video saying said that they were protesting against the unilateral decision to conduct online classes, “barbaric state doesn’t change its behaviour towards oppressed nations,” she said

According to Baloch nationalists however, inaccessibility in occupied Balochistan is an attempt by the Pakistani government to stop news from traveling outside regarding their blatant human rights violation.

What do you think the government should do? Retrieve the decision of online classes or provide internet facility in the Balochistan areas?

Stay tuned for more news and updates!

You may also like

Leave a Comment