Three arrested for orchestrating clashes

The court has reportedly sent the three men on a two-day physical remand

ABBOTABAD:

Police arrested three people who were involved in Thursday’s clashes at Hazara University in Mansehra and produced them before an anti-terrorism court in Abbottabad on Friday.

Insiders familiar with the matter said the court has sent the three men – Aman, Asad and Sohail – on a two-day physical remand. According to university officials, the three men were brothers and are enrolled in an MPhil programme at the institute. On Thursday, at least 10 people were injured when a scuffle between students and security guards escalated at Hazara University’s main campus in Mansehra.

An official of Shinkiari police said the incident was triggered by ethnic differences. Aman, who belongs to a Pashto-speaking background, had an argument with two Hindko-speaking security guards at the university’s main entrance.

Security had been tightened at the university premises on Thursday and no one was allowed to enter without a pat-down and search. However, Aman reportedly refused to comply as he considered it an affront to have “a Hindkowan perform a security check” on him. He called his brothers Sohail and Asad who allegedly attacked the security guards.

Speaking about the incident, a professor at the university told The Express Tribune weapons were brought from private hostels and not the university.

“There are over a dozen private hostels and the police have never bothered to search them,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 13^th, 2015.