MINGORA: Students on Wednesday held a demonstration demanding establishment of a campus of the University of Engineering and Technology, Peshawar, in Swat.

They held placards and raised slogans accusing the authorities concerned of shifting the proposed varsity campus in Swat to Dir district. The protest was organised by Swat Students Society.

The protesting students said the Higher Education Commission, last year, had approved UET campus in Swat for which the feasibility report had also been completed.

The students said a majority of them had to give up pursuing higher education due to absence of an engineering university campus in Swat.

They said influential politicians from other areas treated Swat unfairly and that shifting of government institutes, universities and colleges away from Swat had become a common practice.

`In the previous government, a dental college was approved for Swat, but it was also shifted to Mardan, lamented a protesting student.

`I wanted to take admission in civil engineering after passing my FSc exams but came to know that the University of Swat had no engineering department, Ijazullah Khan of Saidu Sharif said, adding he wasted a full one year seeking admission.

Similarly, scores of girls also have to discontinue higher education as there exists no women university in Swat. `Majority of girls are not allowed to go to other cities or districts to get university education,` said a protester.

The students said Swat was also part of Pakistan and it should not be treated indifferently. They accused the local politicians of failure to resolve the problems of people.

`Future of the youth of Swat should not be pushed into darkness. A campus of the engineering university and a women university should be established in the district for bright future of local youth,` the students demanded.