Karachi:The recent protest by students against the ban on Shalwar-Kameez and jeans at the Bahria University has lead to the rustication of ten students in the campus premises until further notice.

Talking to The News, Director Bahria University Karachi campus Captain (retd) Ashfaq Agha said that the issue has been blown out of proportion. “The students chose the wrong mode of protest. They are not allowed in the premises because they took violent and unhealthy ways to register their reservation. The case has been handed over to the disciplinary committee for a verdict,” he said.

“We never had an issue with their demands but the students need to realize that they are not labourers, rather they are stake holders. The way they protested was a complete surprise to us as there is a major difference between civilised students and street boys and they need to realise this,” he said.

The director was of the opinion that there were better forms of lodging a complaint such as using the suggestions and complain box but no one used the proper way to raise the issue. He said that some fifty to sixty people were protesting out of the 3200 students and rest were just a part of the crowd. On the contrary, students claim that they had contacted the administration in person and through email but there was no response from the administration. On the other hand, the director denies these claims.

Capt Ashfaq said that on the day of the protest, a lot of students were willing to change their clothes and he arranged for a university van them to facilitate them. “The students who were concerned about there studies came to me and asked for money as they were from far flung areas of Karachi and I personally gave them the money. They went back home and changed their clothes and came to the campus to study,” he said.

Explaining the history and details of the ban on Shalwar-Kameez and jeans, the director told The News that about four years ago, jeans was not banned in campus but as it is an informal dress and reflects indecency, it is not allowed on the campus. “Jeans is informal clothing and considering the fact that our institute is a coed, it should not be allowed. Jeans can get very indecent as it can be worn in many ways, some people tear and wear it and it doesn’t reflect an over all good image.”

He further explained that under the dress code of students, every individual who takes admission to Bahria knows well in advance that shalwar kameez and jeans are banned and it is of no use to protest after admission. “If someone plans to join an institute or a work place and knows that only formal dressing is allowed in that very place, then he should think before joining that whether he or she will be able to sustain the rules and ethics” the director maintained.

The students’ concern over the ban on the national dress still exists and to that the director has a similar justification, “Kameez shalwar can also get very informal at times depending on the way you wear it. If some one comes to a class straight from bed in Shalwar-Kameez, then you know how indecent it gets,” the director said.

Adding to his comment the director agreed to the statement that “Dress pants/trousers and dress shirt is the only fully formal dress that should be worn in campus.The news