Islamabad Police detain over 70 students amid hostel eviction at QAU
APP
ISLAMABAD: Dozens of students from Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) in Islamabad were detained early Tuesday during a police operation to vacate university hostels, drawing intense criticism on social media.
Videos shared online showed uniformed personnel escorting students from hostel buildings, with claims surfacing that over 70 were arrested and taken to the Secretariat Police Station.
According to the Islamabad Police, legal assistance was provided following a written request by the university administration, as some students allegedly continued to occupy four hostels illegally despite repeated notices. A police spokesperson stated: “Those students who resisted this peaceful process have been shifted from the hostel, and now legal action will be taken.”
The university administration clarified that the hostels had been officially scheduled for temporary closure from 13 July 2025 due to annual maintenance, renovation, and repair work. While most students complied and vacated the premises, some remained past the deadline, prompting intervention by the district administration. Hostels numbered 6, 8, 9, and 11 were fully cleared during Tuesday’s operation.
A statement from the university highlighted that the Islamabad High Court had already dismissed a petition by the students against the hostel closures, affirming the university’s autonomy under the Quaid-i-Azam University Act 1973.
Human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir contested the police’s narrative, claiming the Vice Chancellor had denied authorising the police operation. In a post on X, she alleged that 72 students were being held at the Secretariat Police Station without any First Information Report (FIR) and that authorities were refusing to provide access to legal documents or confirm detentions.
The Vice Chancellor’s Secretariat was also reported closed on Tuesday amid continued student protests.
Former senator Afrasiab Khattak described the arrests as “shameful”, stating that students were merely asking for permission to remain on campus to prepare for exams. Academics and artists including Dr Taimur Rehman and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Junior also condemned the arrests, calling for student safety and institutional accountability.
