Police Action Against Protesting NUML Students Sparks Outrage

Islamabad police’s act of beating up students of National University of Modern Languages (NUML) for protesting against on-campus examinations has sparked outrage on social media.

With schools and universities opening again, final examinations at some institutions are scheduled to be conducted on campus. Amongst them is National University of Modern Languages (NUML). Students from this institution on Monday staged a protest against the administration and demanded the exams be held online.

As the protest progressed, hashtags on Twitter started to trend. After the police action, users trended #NUMLians_Under_Police_Torture to protest manhandling of the protestors by police. Under this tag, pictures and photos of peaceful protestors being beaten up police are displayed.

Dear @dcislamabad we've seen you attend a rally by banned sectarian outfits held under police protection & facilitated by your admin but subjecting peaceful protesters like students & teachers to shelling, baton charge and arrests is becoming a norm #NUMLians_under_Police_torture pic.twitter.com/ijq3lrKXG2

— M. Jibran Nasir (@MJibranNasir) January 18, 2021

This is how they treated students from yesterday's protest. Everything was happening under the supervision of isb admin, they shud be questioned.#NUMLians_under_Police_torture@ICT_Police @dcislamabad @hamzashafqaat pic.twitter.com/qnC21y9odr

— Aliyan Abdul Salam (@AliyanSalam) January 19, 2021

Coward why you deleted the poll ? Because you came to know online percentage is more ? This is your reality. @hamzashafqaat #NUMLians_under_Police_torture #StudentsWantOlineExams #StudentsDemandOnlineExams @Shafqat_Mahmood pic.twitter.com/i5TemJg4sj

— Bahlol Ahmad (@bahlolahmad) January 19, 2021

What else can you expect from an undemocratic state where everyone having some authority is using his power against civilians. At least I'm not expecting that these students will get justice as justice is not in our tradition#NUMLians_under_Police_torture pic.twitter.com/DXW5xAVHUt

— Yousaf Malik (@Yousafmalik1611) January 19, 2021

Activists and students have condemned the shelling and baton charge on students protesting in Islamabad.

DC Islamabad Hamza Shafqat conducted an online poll yesterday to determine if students wanted online or on campus exams. After the polls showed more than 70% students choosing online exams, he deleted the tweet. Twitter users now allege that he deleted it because the result wasn’t the one he wanted.

Activists also pointed out that Hamza Shafqat was previously seen attending an event held by banned sectarian outfits and yet peaceful student protesters get shelled and beaten up under his watch.