Gofrixty [30 July 2025] – After a barrage of criticism and student demonstrations on streets, Islamabad police have justified its recent operation at Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU), saying they didn’t arrest any student but instead “shifted” students in order to vacate university hostels. The police had taken action after the QAU’s administration had complained that students were illegally staying in hostels after the varsity had been closed during summer.
Video clips shared on social media showed police officers throng into the hostels, carrying students out in detention and putting them in vans. Several students said that they had been mistreated and dragged out in the dead of night. Witnesses characterized the operation as heavy-handed, and some students said they were not even afforded the opportunity to pack their belongings.
The images spread rapidly to campuses across the country, setting off a firestorm of protests from students who called it an assault on academic freedom and student rights. Demonstrations were also staged in Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar and called for the immediate release of the arrested students and a transparent investigation into the use of force.
