The protest by nursing students at Kohat University of Science and Technology (KUST) against delays in registration with the Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council (PN&MC) entered its sixth day. Students said that without registration their degrees hold no value and their professional future is at risk.

According to student leaders Asim Wazir, Khayyam Afridi and Sahibzada, the university administration has failed to resolve the issue for four years. Despite heavy fees the registration process has not been completed. The seventh semester is under way and the university is also advertising new admissions.

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Students are staging a sit-in at Zero Point where female students are also participating. They demanded that the university administration immediately complete their registration, provide a separate building for the Nursing Department and start a paid internship programme.

On the other hand, university spokesperson Rashid Ishaq said the Nursing Department was established in 2022. A delegation of the Nursing Council pointed out some shortcomings during a visit in 2024 which are being addressed. The spokesperson said the current Vice Chancellor Professor Zafar Ilyas is making efforts to resolve the matter soon to safeguard the future of students.

Experts said that without registration with the Nursing Council no nursing degree carries legal or professional status.