Peshawar: The youth of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were staging a unique musical protest to express solidarity with Muhammad Musa Khan, a 6th semester student of University of Malakand who was ousted from university hostel late night for bringing rabab to varsity where faced a tragic accident and lost his life. The protest was organized under the patronage of Pakistan Development Foundation (PDF) and Forum for Inquiry, Knowledge and Review (FIKR), headed by its chairman, Muhammad Bilal Sethi, a renowned social activitist, Yousaf Anwar, Edward College’s professor, Gulzar Jalal, Civil Society Representatives including Kaneez Fatima Sethi, Advocate Haider Jan, Salman Omar, Fareedoon Khan, Haris Kamal, Advocate Arbab Ifrahim, Shaheer Chagharmatti and others.
Protestors displayed placards and banners in favour of Musa Khan. Bilal Sethi while addressing the protest made the following demands;
We, the youth of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, have gathered today to voice our demands to the government following the tragic death of Musa Khan, an artist and student expelled from University of Malakand for playing rabab on campus. Our demands are as follows:
We demand that all individuals involved in this heinous crime be brought to justice and receive severe punishment.
We demand the permanent expulsion of the Provost of Malakand University, the hostel warden, and the Chief Proctor. They must be barred from holding any government job in future.
We demand that dynamic leaders ships be appointed as Vice Chancellors in universities who have a genuine love for literature and art and who foster leadership in students. Currently, many vice chancellors and administrators of universities lack these essential qualities.
Freedom for Cultural Events: We demand that students be allowed to organize cultural events without interference from external organizations. Every student should have the freedom to express themselves.
Bilal further demands that the government implement policies that protect and encourage artistic expression on all university campuses.
The universities provide accessible psychological support services to help students cope with stress, anxiety, and other mental health issues.Transparent and impartial investigation into the circumstances leading to Musa Khan’s expulsion and subsequent death.
Universities ensure a safe and inclusive environment where all students can express their talents without fear of reprisal.
Universities regularly host cultural events that celebrate and promote various forms of art, music, and literature. Students have representation in university decision-making bodies to ensure their voices are heard and their concerns addressed.
We Demand for the establishment of Student Affair departments in all institutions to address and resolve student issues and concerns on campus. These departments will ensure that student needs are met and problems are effectively managed.
Most importantly we want peaceful coexistence of youth in our province. We demand that they should not be harassed. Nobody should impose their ideologies on them. Their choice and opinions should be respected. Government should ensure that no such happenings occur in future again.
We urge the government to take immediate action on these demands to honor the memory of Musa Khan and ensure that no other student suffers a similar fate.
