Pakistan: Police use force to disperse protest against physical exams amid COVID-19

Police in Pakistan's capital Islamabad resorted to using force to disperse a protest against holding in-person examinations for classes 9 to 12 scheduled to begin later this month amid the COVID-19 pandemic. A dozen students were temporarily detained.

The students had started gathering outside the Higher Education Commission (HEC) office in the morning. They were protesting in-person exams as well as calling for Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood's resignation, Dawn reported citing Senior Superintendent of Police (Operations) Dr Mustafa Tanveer.

"We were told to use force to clear the road for traffic," he added.

The police used force to disperse the protesters and clear the road for traffic and detained around a dozen students, who were later released.

A number of such protests have taken place across the country in recent months as the COVID-19 pandemic dragged on, affecting educational activities, Dawn reported.

In May, over a dozen protesters were arrested and scores of motorcycles impounded during police action to disperse students staging a protest demanding online examinations at Faizabad.

The protesting students shouted slogans against the government, the federal minister for education and other officers of the education department. Some of the students had even turned violent, according to officials.

Police resorted to baton-charge to disperse the protesters. The protesters retaliated and pelted the police with stones.

Earlier this year, multiple injuries were reported after the Punjab Police allegedly baton-charged students protesting against on-campus exams in Lahore, Dawn reported.

( With inputs from ANI )