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       QUETTA: Leaders of the Baloch Students Action Committee (BSAC) and various student organisations, including PSF and BSO-Pujar, have expressed concern over the closure of Bolan Medical College (BMC) for two weeks following a clash between two student groups over room allotments in the boys’ hostel, and demanded the immediate reopening of the college.

       Speaking at a press conference here on Monday, student leaders, including Azhar Baloch, Tahir Shah and Dr Tariq Baloch, condemned the recent police action at BMC, accusing law enforcement of entering the campus and violently targeting students after a minor altercation.

       The student leaders claimed that the police raided the college hostels, forcibly removed students from their rooms, and arrested several individuals. Authorities also extended their actions to private hostels and nearby plazas, arresting more students and seizing their belongings.

       The boys’ hostel was sealed entirely, and police were stationed outside the girls’ hostel, while water and food services to the latter were also suspended.

       The student leaders des-cribed the crackdown as part of a deliberate effort to militarise the educational environment at BMC and called for the reopening of the college, the withdrawal of police forces from the hostels, and accountability for both the college administration and law enforcement officials involved in the violence.

       They also demanded compensation for the students’ losses and an end to the ongoing harassment. They announced plans for peaceful protests across educational institutions in Balochistan and a large meeting with all student organisations, doctors and BMC stakeholders scheduled for Tuesday to discuss their next steps.

       The student leaders urged the government to address their demands promptly to prevent further escalation of the situation.

       Published in Dawn, November 19th, 2024