Security nightmare: PU quiet after Jamiat man’s murder

‘Administration doing its best to provide foolproof security to students’.

LAHORE: Attendance at the Punjab University (PU) remained low after Sunday night’s shooting in which a Law College student was killed and a Hailey College student was injured.

Muslim Town Station House Officer Tahir Akram said the police were looking for the assailants.

Police said five armed men had arrived at the fruit shop near Hostel 15 on two motorcycles at around 9:45pm. Witnesses identified two of them as former PU students Abrar Wattoo and Imran Tarar.

The men shot second year law student Awais Aqeel, nazim of the Islami Jamiat Talba (IJT) Law College chapter, several times. They also shot a Hailey College student, Ejaz Butt, who was standing close by.

The men then fled towards Hostel 4 while firing shots in the air.

Aqeel and Butt were taken to Jinnah Hospital, but Aqeel died on the way. Butt, who was shot once in the leg, was later reported to be out of danger.

Police said the deceased had been a complainant in an FIR against Wattoo and Tarar in March for shooting on the university premises. Asim Mehmood, a student, was injured in the incident. The deceased and his Islami Jamiat Talba comrades had also made Wattoo vacate a hostel room he had illegally taken possession of.

A PU official, who wished not to be named, said that Wattoo had once arrived at a disciplinary committee meeting armed with a pistol and left behind bullets to intimidate teachers.

Talking to The Tribune, Resident Officer-1 Javeed Sami said that the university administration was doing its best to provide foolproof security to its students.

He said every gate was guarded by two guards, however, it was impossible to frisk each and every one entering the university premises.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 15^th, 2012.