Students in Khuzdar have launched protests, including an overnight sit-in outside a library, against a district administration order reserving the Allama Muhammad Umar Din Puri Digital Library exclusively for female students and directing male students to move to a separate public library.

According to a notice issued by the Office of the Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue), District Khuzdar, all male students enrolled at the Allama Muhammad Umar Din Puri Digital Library have been directed to join the newly established Captain (Retired) Shaheed Ashiq Usman Public Library within three days.

The notice states that the digital library has been designated exclusively for female students owing to a significant increase in the number of female members and to allow for a more conducive learning environment. It says male students must vacate the premises and continue their studies at the new library, which it describes as offering dedicated facilities and a more peaceful environment for male students. Those who do not comply within the stipulated time, the notice warns, will not be registered at either library.

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Students rejected the decision and took out a rally from the library to the Deputy Commissioner's office, with a large number of male and female students taking part in what they described as a peaceful "educational walk" for the right to education. They called for the decision to be reviewed and their concerns addressed, warning that they would widen and intensify their protest if their demands were not met, and that responsibility for any escalation would rest with the administration.

According to the protesters, the administration then closed the library's doors to all students, prompting them to stage a sit-in on the road outside, seated with their books, which continued late into the night. The students framed it as an unusual demonstration in which both male and female students were demanding that the two libraries operate with male and female sections rather than be segregated by gender.

They set out two main demands: that both libraries be made general, with male and female sections, so students can register at whichever they choose; and that fees at both be kept affordable so that all students can pay them.

In an open letter addressed to the Chief Minister of Balochistan, students of the digital library appealed for immediate intervention to protect the library and resolve their concerns. They said they had cooperated with the district administration for several weeks and held repeated meetings with the Deputy Commissioner, the Additional Deputy Commissioner and representatives of an All Parties Citizens Action Committee, but that the administration had held to its position and had not taken their concerns seriously.

The students said the dispute began with a proposal to set up an academy at the library, to which they responded by requesting that a separate space be allocated so the library could keep its original character. They alleged that the person behind the proposal then tried to intimidate them, that registration fees were subsequently raised sharply, and that male students were later pushed to leave on various pretexts.

The letter states that the library has served students for seven years without any gender based dispute, and that the presence of male and female students had never previously been treated as a problem for its management or study environment. Citing Article 25 and Article 25-A of the Constitution which guarantee equality before the law and make the provision of education a responsibility of the state . the students argued that no law permits denying students a public educational facility on the basis of gender alone, and asked that any legal basis for the decision be placed before the public.

The students said they had no dispute with any individual, institution or academy, and asked only that the digital library be preserved for its original purpose: quiet study, research and preparation for competitive examinations. They urged the Chief Minister to review what they called one-sided decisions, hear their representative committee, and reach a fair decision after consulting all stakeholders.

Published in Balochistan Dispatch, July 30th, 2026