QAU Hostel Case: Court Sends Detained Students To Judicial Custody

The lower court of Islamabad on Wednesday sent detained students of Quaid-i-Azam University to judicial custody after a hearing in a case related to the alleged forced eviction of hostel rooms

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Jul, 2025) The lower court of Islamabad on Wednesday sent detained students of Quaid-i-Azam University to judicial custody after a hearing in a case related to the alleged forced eviction of hostel rooms.

Judicial Magistrate Mureed Abbas ordered the transfer of detained students to Adiala Jail on judicial remand in a case involving a protest at Quaid-i-Azam University over the eviction of students from hostel rooms.

During the hearing, the Federal police presented the arrested students before the court. Several lawyers appeared on behalf of the students, including Advocate Riyasat Ali Azad, District Bar Association President Chaudhry Naeem Gujjar, Advocate Imaan Mazari, Advocate Hadi Ali Chattha, and others.

Advocate Riyasat Ali read the contents of the FIR and informed the court that 29 students were currently in police custody. He argued that the charges were exaggerated and stated that only one of the sections applied in the FIR was non-bailable. He said the FIR mentioned slogans, not weapons, and called for all students to be discharged rather than remanded. "This case does not fall under serious charges like Section 324 or 382," he told the court.

Chaudhry Naeem Gujjar questioned whether standard legal procedures applied to universities. "These students were given admission and allotted hostel rooms. Even tenants can't be evicted without notice," he said. "Among these students are future lawyers, judges, and politicians."

Riyasat Ali further mocked the investigation, saying the police had applied robbery charges without any basis and sarcastically remarked that the officer deserved a salute for adding such a section.

Defense lawyers highlighted that the FIR had no mention of theft, injury, or any individual being harmed. Advocate Hadi Ali Chattha mentioned that lawyers were not allowed to meet the students in police custody and alleged that a police officer had labeled Baloch students as "illegal."

Advocate Imaan Mazari accused the police of disrespecting the court and claimed that officials attempted to run over lawyers with their vehicle and forcibly took the students back outside the court premises.

On the other side, the university’s legal counsel, Raja Zahoor-ul-Hassan, said the arrested individuals were not current students and accused them of contributing to drug activity on campus. He stated that the Islamabad High Court had already dismissed the students’ petition. He requested that if any of the arrested were verified as current students, they should be discharged.

During his arguments, students inside the courtroom raised slogans against the university's legal team, prompting the judge to express displeasure.

The prosecution requested a 10-day physical remand of the detained students. After hearing both sides, the court reserved its decision on the remand request.

Tensions escalated after the hearing when some lawyers allegedly surrounded university counsel Raja Zahoor-ul-Hassan, his son, and security in-charge retired Colonel Nadeem outside the courtroom and attempted to assault them.

The court ultimately rejected the prosecution's plea for physical remand and ordered that all detained students be sent to jail on judicial remand. They have been summoned to appear in court again on August 13.