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The students of Karakoram International University (KIU) in Gilgit city carried out protests against the administration for an unprecedented fee hike on Wednesday.
The poor students of Gilgit Baltistan are unable to pay the excessive increase in the semester fees. The unreasonable raise in the university fees has affected the students and their parents as administration has allegedly increased the fees by 25 per cent two times in a semester. A student protesting against the University, said, Before we could enter the second semester, they had already released the notification regarding 25% hike in the fees, after we submitted the fees they again raised the fees by 25% for the same semester, due to which the situation here has deteriorated further, since people here are sustaining amid high inflation and economic crisis. Another student perturbed by the officials serving in the admin department said, There is a mass protest going on in the Karakoram International University (KIU). This protest is against the unreasonable increase in the university fees. The fee has been increased two times in just a semester. They increased it by 25% at the start of the semester, at that time students somehow managed to pay the fees, but again they increased the fees by 25% as the semester neared completion. Amid skyrocketing inflation and lack of other educational institutions in the region, the students have no other option to continue their studies. However, many, who had managed to pay the fees after the first fee hike, are finding themselves in a tight spot and joined the protests with their fellow students. Students blame the Vice chancellor of the University for corruption and fleecing money from the students for his personal tours abroad. A student from Karakoram University revealed that the Vice Chancellor remains absent from the University and spends money granted for the development of the university on his foreign tours. She said, Gilgit Baltistan is a region which doesnt have much resources (for education). Most of the students here are financially poor. The Vice Chancellor of the University is found to be on a tour to China or other foreign tourist destinations most of the time. He doesnt come here and stays in Islamabad. He should facilitate the students here, but he is never present at the University. It shows the irresponsible attitude and incompetence of the Vice Chancellor It has been a continuous attempt of Pakistan to keep the youngsters in Gilgit Baltistan deprived of education and other human development activities. Throughout the year most of the poor students remain on streets protesting against the university administration. In such a scenario becoming an educated and intellectual individual is still a distant dream for the young population of Gilgit Baltistan. (ANI)
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