Pokhara, May 16

The attempt of some Free Student Union office bearers at Pokhara University to extend their tenure has hit a snag after the High Court scrapped the writ.

FSU President Sunil Timilsina, treasurer Suraj Pariyar and member Prakriti Dawadi had filed a writ at Pokhara  High Court in January seeking term extension as their tenure was to expire soon.

According to High Court Spokesperson and Deputy-registrar Puspa Dahal, a joint bench of Judge Binod Prasad Sharma and Jagat Prasad Shrestha quashed the writ yesterday.

The students in their writ had cited conflicting provisions in the regulation of PU FSU and Student Code of Conduct and a precedent in a similar case at Tribhuvan University for seeking to be allowed to work for the full two-year term.

While the regulation in one point categorically says the term of FSU officials will be two years, elsewhere it maintains that office bearers’ term will end automatically after the final exams of the final semester.

One day after the writ was filed, then chief justice Kumar Chudal of the court had, on January 18, issued an interim order, saying the petitioners be allowed to work in their capacity as FSU office bearers.

While, the student union aligned to the ruling party are rooting for an extension of the FSU office bearers’ term, students affiliated with Nepali Congress’ sister wing Nepal Student Union have stood firmly against the demand.

It was the same dispute that had caused postponement of the university convocation earlier.

It is interesting to note that before the FSU elections were held in March last year, student unions themselves had inserted the provision limiting the office bearers’ tenure until the final exam by forging consensus among themselves.