By ABDULLAH 
Islamabad – July 30, 2025:
Tensions continue to rise at Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU) Hostel Crackdown after Islamabad police arrested over 70 students in a surprise pre-dawn raid on university hostels. The students, reportedly resisting eviction orders during summer maintenance closures, have since been sent on judicial remand, sparking nationwide debate on legal rights, institutional overreach, and student activism.
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The operation was launched on July 29, following a formal written request from the QAU administration. Officials stated that repeated notices had been issued asking students to vacate the hostels by July 13 for annual maintenance. However, according to Islamabad Capital Police, while 11 hostels were vacated peacefully, resistance from students in the remaining four led to enforcement action.
Eyewitness videos circulating on social media show students being forcibly taken by police, with some alleging excessive use of force. Human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir claims at least 72 students were detained during the operation, while the official count remains around 60.
After their arrest, students were shifted to Bakshi Khana (judicial lockup) at the Islamabad court premises. In a concerning turn, lawyers were denied access to their clients. Notably, legal representatives Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha were stopped by police at the gate, sparking further protest.
“Our lawyers must be allowed to meet the detainees or they should be produced before the court,” demanded the legal team, only to be met with vague assurances from police officials on site.
The District and Sessions Court in Islamabad, presided over by Judicial Magistrate Mureed Abbas, took up the case on Wednesday. Students’ lawyer Riyasat Ali Azad read the FIR, revealing that out of the many arrested, 29 students remained in custody.
“The FIR lacks solid grounds. It mentions slogans but not violence or weapons,” Azad argued. The defence emphasized that only one non-bailable section was included, questioning the merit of physical remand.
Meanwhile, District Bar Association President Naeem Gujar criticized the legality of the operation:
“Even tenants cannot be evicted without notice. These are future judges, lawyers, and politicians. What message are we sending?”
Meanwhile, Hadi Ali Chattha criticized the silence of institutions, questioning:
“Is martial law imposed? A retired colonel decides the students’ future. Police barred us from seeing our clients, calling Baloch students ‘illegal’—is this how the state treats its youth?”
The court eventually denied the police’s request for a 10-day physical remand and instead sent the detainees on a 14-day judicial remand, scheduling the next hearing for August 13.
The university’s legal representative, Raja Zahoorul Hassan, argued that those arrested were not registered students but rather “outsiders” contributing to the drug problem on campus. He added:
“If any of them are proven to be actual students, we request their immediate discharge.”
This claim was met with slogans of “Shame! Shame!” from students present in the courtroom, prompting the magistrate to call for order.
Multiple social media clips taken early July 29 showed Islamabad police forcibly removing students from hostels, raising alarm over the operation’s legality and ethics. Police later issued a statement claiming:
“11 hostels had already been vacated. The remaining four still had students staying illegally, despite repeated notices.”
The university said hostel closures were scheduled for July 13, citing maintenance during summer break, and insisted multiple warnings had been issued beforehand.
Human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari accused the police of not only disrespecting the court but also endangering lawyers’ safety, saying:
“Police tried to run over lawyers with a van. They snatched students from outside the courtroom. What message does this send?”
The legal team continues to demand immediate access to students, while national and international watchdogs are expected to weigh in as the case garners widespread attention.