Karakoram International University students in Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan region recently staged protests against fee hikes and administrative mismanagement, media reports said.

Students reportedly chanted slogans and boycotted classes.

According to the students, the university administration has been increasing the semester fees against the Higher Education Commission’s (HEC) policy, reported ANI.

Students claim that since 2020, the semester fee has increased by 135 per cent, despite HEC policy only allowing for a 10 per cent increase in a single year.

The university administration has allegedly increased the fees by 25 per cent two times in a semester in several courses.

Students, who belong to the economically weaker sections, are protesting on the streets and demanding a roll back of the decision taken by the university.

Accusing the university administration of mismanaging the resources, students are also complaining they are not being provided any facilities.

“Earlier, our fee was Rs 30,000; now, after a 25 per cent hike, it is Rs 37,000. According to the HEC rule, 10 per cent is increased annually, but it has increased by 25 per cent. We cannot afford expensive education,” a Business Management student told Skardu TV as quoted by ANI.

“I had deposited Rs 60000 during admission, but now they are saying that our fee has been increased again. They have increased our fee twice in the same semester”, a third-semester engineering student told the news agency.

For several years students are facing a shortage of faculty, transportation and classrooms.