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: May 17, 2026

Attack Types: Killings, Violence, Disappearances

Institution(s):University of Sindh

Region & Country:Southern Asia | Pakistan

New or Ongoing:New Incident

On May 17, 2026, student groups at the University of Sindh clashed outside the Faculty of Arts, injuring nine students.

Tensions between rival student groups had been escalating for several days when students emerged from exams and began arguing. The argument turned physical as students clashed with sticks and bricks before intensifying into aerial firing. Two students, Vikram Kumar and Azhar Shah, were seriously injured by gunfire and taken to the hospital. Either other students sustained minor injuries.

Following the violence, several students set fire to a boys hostel.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about on-campus clashes impeding the functioning of a university. All members of the higher education community must refrain from violence, especially on campus. Such incidents create a chilling effect on the academic community, threatening both institutional autonomy and the personal safety of scholars. In addition to the harm to the immediate victim, such incidents undermine academic freedom and democratic society generally.

Sources:
https://www.24newshd.tv/17-May-2026/armed-clash-student-groups-erupts-sindh-university-two-injured
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2608702/nine-injured-as-varsity-students-clash
https://www.dawn.com/news/2001051