Pakistan: Students protest exam centre shift, alleged misconduct; shop demolitions spark backlash

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa [Pakistan], April 10 (ANI): Students from multiple schools in Khar tehsil staged protests against local authorities over sudden administrative decisions and alleged misconduct. Demonstrations erupted after exam arrangements were abruptly altered, leaving students frustrated and disrupted during their ongoing matriculation examinations, as reported by Dawn.
According to Dawn, students from Alfalah Public School and Wisdom Public School in Sadiqabad town blocked the Khar-Nawagai Road, protesting the unexpected relocation of their examination centre. The students had been appearing for their exams at Government High School Tang Khata for a week before officials shifted the centre to a distant location without prior notice.
The protesting students claimed that the decision was influenced by internal disagreements between education department officials and the school administration. They criticised the authorities for what they described as poor planning and disregard for students' convenience. Protesters demanded accountability and strict action against those responsible for the sudden change. The demonstration ended after local elders and police intervened, assuring students that their concerns would be conveyed to higher authorities.
In a separate incident, students of Government High School Kootki Charmang also took to the streets, blocking the Tangi-Charmang Road. They accused an examiner at their centre of inappropriate and disrespectful behaviour. The protest concluded after police officials assured the students that such conduct would not be repeated. Meanwhile, tensions also surfaced in Lowi Sam Bazaar, where authorities demolished several shops allegedly constructed on state-owned land, as cited by Dawn.
The administration stated that shopkeepers had been given prior warnings to remove the structures voluntarily but failed to comply, necessitating official action to reclaim public property. However, affected shopkeepers strongly disputed the claims, insisting they legally owned the land. They further alleged that no adequate notice was provided before the demolition, criticising the administration's approach as unjust and abrupt, as reported by Dawn. (ANI)