SAR’s Academic Freedom Monitoring Project investigates and reports attacks on higher education with the aim of raising awareness, generating advocacy, and increasing protection for scholars, students, and academic communities. Starting July 1, 2026, SAR no longer publishes reports for the incidents that it records. SAR continues to monitor and record incidents that will be used in the annual Free to Think report. This page provides a record of incidents reported up to that date. Learn more about the Academic Freedom Monitoring Project.

Date of Incident: February 23, 2025

Attack Types: Killings, Violence, Disappearances | Other

Institution(s):University of Peshawar

Region & Country:Southern Asia | Pakistan

New or Ongoing:New Incident

On February 23, 2025, University of Peshawar police used batons to disperse student members of Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT), a student organization, who were staging a protest outside of the university’s Khyber Medical College (KMC) after the college prevented them from hold a book fair on campus. Several students were injured.

KMC had previously approved the college’s annual book fair to be held on February 23. However, when the students arrived at the college, they found that the gate was closed. A KMC official explained that the the college had asked for the book fair to be organized under the umbrella of KMC’s literary instead of IJT so that it would not appear to be a political activity.

In response, members of IJT engaged in a peaceful sit-in outside of KMC. After campus police used batons to beat them, they moved to the street, blocking it in protest against both the KMC administration and the police. At least three students were reportedly admitted to the hospital in critical condition.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about the use of force by security forces in response to a student protest – conduct that is protected by international human rights instruments including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Instruments and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Pakistan is a party. While state authorities have a right to maintain public order and safety, they should refrain from the use of force and ensure that their response is proportionate to the situation and does not result in harm to students or other protesters. In addition to the harm to the immediate victims, the use of force, especially when intended to restrict student expression, undermines academic freedom and democratic society generally.

Sources:
*SAR identified this incident in data made publicly available by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED)
https://www.dawn.com/news/1893875/students-get-injured-as-police-baton-charge-ijt-protest
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1285863-several-injured-as-police-break-up-ijt-sit-in
https://thenorthernpost.net/2025/02/23/khyber-medical-college-students-injured-in-peaceful-protest/