Students of Karakoram University protest against fee hike

Hundreds of students of Karakoram International University in Gilgit-Baltistan are out on the streets demanding the roll-back of government's decision to hike fees.Students, who are carrying out multiple rallies in different parts of the occupied region, have termed it a part of Pakistan's systematic attempts to impede higher education.

The students say that in a university where most of the students are from the economically weaker sections, a fifty per cent raise in almost all courses clearly underlines the government's agenda.

A protesting student of the varsity said: "The issue is that our fee has been raised. The scheme of 2011 has been abolished and a blanket increment in the fee has been imposed across all courses. This is the reason we are out on the streets. We want that scheme to be resumed so that we go back and study."

"We belong to backward areas and cannot afford to pay the fees. This was the reason we took admission in this university and didn't go anywhere else. Here also, our resources are being plundered. They are not letting us study. So we appeal to the government to let us study and roll-back the fee hike," the student added.

While the fundamental education system of Gilgit-Baltistan is in the shambles, a systematic government design has kept the ambitious students away from pursuing higher education. Sometimes, it is the absence of the number of seats in a course and other times, it is the absence of proper facilities.

Developing a scientific temperament was never there on the university's agenda and it never encourages literature or economics, alleged the students.

The complex process of obtaining a degree has forced many budding students to withdraw from the courses. Students are also asking the government to provide them with the degree they deserve.

A female student said: "The university never tries to resolve the problems of students. We have an issue with obtaining our degrees. We completed four semesters of ADE from the College of Education and continued for the remaining four in this university. The degree issue is that we get a separate transcript for the first four semesters and another transcript for the remaining four."

"Nobody in the market outside recognises our degree. It has happened with the students of previous batches as well. Our degree is considered invalid. We are using this platform to register our protest against this problem where the College of Education and the university are playing with our lives," she added.

The education standards in Gilgit-Baltistan are far to be termed progressive or promising. Not much of the blame can be directed towards the local authorities.

Islamabad which governs the region directly through its appointed officers' frames policies that are not only oppressive but also discourages students to pursue higher education.