Activist Sadia Baloch Suspended from Punjab University
Quetta (Balochistan) [Pakistan], August 14
A prominent activist from Balochistan, Sadia Baloch, has been suspended from Punjab University for her criticism of Pakistan’s armed forces. Sadia, who is also a member of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), shared on X that the university accused her of using its platform to corrupt students’ minds against state institutions and damaging the institution’s reputation.
In a post on X, Sadia Baloch stated, “Punjab University, Lahore, has issued my suspension orders, alleging that I, as a so-called miscreant student, have used the university platform to corrupt students’ minds against state institutions and that my conduct has severely damaged the reputation and integrity of the educational institution. It is worth noting that this notice refers to a protest held two months ago and is dated June 14. However, I only received this letter on August 12, 2024, when I went to check for it. I had not been issued a charge sheet before this, making it clear that the notice was issued after Raaji Muchi’s participation, with backdated timestamps.”
She also highlighted that, as a female Baloch student, the derogatory language used against her raises questions about the institution’s claimed discipline and values. The activist believes this deliberate action, occurring just a week before her annual exams, is intended to undermine her academic career and constitutes a serious assault on her personal and moral character. She urged the institution to honour the agreements made with the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) and called for Punjab University to revoke the suspension letter and retract its baseless allegations.
Commenting on this issue, Baloch Siddique Azad, Secretary General of the Baloch People’s Congress, said, “It is highly regrettable and condemnable that Punjab University has expelled a talented student from Dera Ghazi Khan, Sadia Baloch, and deprived her of her right to education for attending and speaking at meetings of the Baloch Solidarity Committee in Balochistan. Such narrow-minded and biased actions by an educational institution like Punjab University reflect a colonial mentality and biased attitude that should be a source of shame for an educational institution. The Baloch People’s Congress strongly condemns this biased and anti-educational decision by Punjab University and demands a review of this unjust move.”
Doubts Revealed
Activist -: An activist is someone who works to bring about social or political change. They often speak out about issues they care about.
Sadia Baloch -: Sadia Baloch is a person who works to help people in Balochistan, a region in Pakistan. She speaks out about things she thinks are wrong.
Suspended -: Suspended means that someone is temporarily not allowed to do something. In this case, Sadia is not allowed to attend the university for a while.
Punjab University -: Punjab University is a big school in Pakistan where people go to study after high school.
Criticizing -: Criticizing means saying that something is wrong or bad. Sadia said things she thought were wrong about Pakistan’s armed forces.
Pakistan’s Armed Forces -: Pakistan’s armed forces are the military groups that protect the country. This includes the army, navy, and air force.
Balochistan -: Balochistan is a large region in Pakistan. It has its own culture and people, called Baloch.
Baloch Yakjehti Committee -: The Baloch Yakjehti Committee is a group that works to help and support the Baloch people.
Corrupting students’ minds -: This means making students think in a way that the university thinks is bad or wrong.
Reputation -: Reputation is what people think about someone or something. The university thinks Sadia’s actions make it look bad.
Academic career -: An academic career is the work someone does in education, like studying or teaching at a university.
Baloch Siddique Azad -: Baloch Siddique Azad is another person who helps the Baloch people. He is part of the Baloch People’s Congress.
Baloch People’s Congress -: The Baloch People’s Congress is a group that works to support the rights and interests of the Baloch people.
Biased -: Biased means unfairly favoring one side over another. Baloch Siddique Azad thinks the university’s decision was not fair.
Unjust -: Unjust means not fair or right. Baloch Siddique Azad thinks the university’s decision was wrong.