Pakistan: Students stage protest in Islamabad against in-person exams

Students on Saturday staged a protest at Islamabad's Faizabad Interchange against the federal government's decision to hold in-person exams of classes 10 and 12 from June 23, despite surge in COVID-19 in the country.

Students took to the streets soon after the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) said that examinations for classes 10 and 12 will be held between June 23 and July 29, reported Geo News.

The decision was taken in a NCOC meeting chaired by Federal Minister for Planning Asad Umar and National Coordinator Lt General Hamooduz Zaman on Saturday.

The protesting students demanded the federal and provincial education ministers to reconsider their decision in light of the ongoing coronavirus situation.

"If classes were held online, then the examinations should also be conducted online," the students argued.

Moreover, the students pelted stones at the police after which the police used batons and tear gas to disperse them, Geo News reported.

At least 73 more people have succumbed to coronavirus in Pakistan, taking the nationwide COVID-19 death toll to 20,680, while over 2,455 new infections have been reported, pushing the tally to 916,239.

( With inputs from ANI )