Bolan Medical College Students Launch Major Protest Over Extended Closure

Students at Bolan Medical College in Quetta are protesting the indefinite closure of their institution, risking their academic year. The closure, due to administrative issues, has led students to initiate a four-step protest campaign, including social media awareness and independent classes.

In a significant development, students at Bolan Medical College (BMC) in Quetta have declared a major protest against the prolonged closure of their institution, which threatens to derail the academic year for countless medical students, according to reports by The Balochistan Post (TBP). The college, the largest medical training institution in Balochistan, has been non-operational for six months following a minor administrative dispute. In response to government orders, local police enforced the closure of the campus and hostels, with the reopening being postponed multiple times under various pretexts, such as 'repair and allotment issues,' TBP reported.

Students allege that the Balochistan Health Department has indefinitely shut down the college 'without clear justification,' endangering their future prospects. Many students originate from remote areas and lack political clout, which they believe contributes to the government's perceived indifference to the issue's urgency.

As reported by TBP, the government, finding no political gain in reopening the college, continues to neglect the educational crisis at hand. Previously, the vice principal of the college was detained under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) law for vocalizing opposition to the extended closure. In response, the students have initiated a comprehensive four-step protest campaign, beginning with a social media drive to heighten awareness. This will be followed by demonstrations at press clubs across various Balochistan districts. Thereafter, a sit-in protest is planned in front of Bolan Medical College in Quetta, and students are committed to resuming classes autonomously through 'self-help measures' without formal approval, TBP observed.

According to TBP, a student spokesperson called for solidarity beyond ethnic and political lines, urging all students to view this situation as a 'collective educational emergency.' They appealed to political parties, civil society groups, and social organizations to 'end their silence' and support the students' initiative to protect their academic year.

(With inputs from agencies.)