A posthumous tribute: Residents demand university be named after APS martyr from Haripur

HQM leader flays Shuhada forum president for wanting to establish institute in other districts

HARIPUR: Residents of Haripur have demanded the technical university proposed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief should be named after Mohsin Murtaza, an eighth-grader who died in the Army Public School massacre.

Insiders familiar with the matter told The Express Tribune the demand has been put forward because the deceased belonged to Sumbal Mohri village of Rehana union council in Haripur. On the first anniversary of the APS attack, PTI Chairperson Imran Khan had announced the decision to establish the institute in Haripur that would be named after a victim.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Naseem Awan, a senior leader of Hazara Qaumi Mahaz (HQM), hailed the decision to set up the university. “However, the institute should be named after an APS victim from Haripur,” he said.

According to Awan, Shuhada Ghazi Forum President Abid Raza Bangash’s opposition to the PTI chief’s plan is illogical and could pit ethnic groups against each other. Bangash wants the government to either establish a technical university in Nowshera or rename University of Peshawar.

“[Bangash] must realise that the people of Peshawar are not the only ones mourning the massacre of schoolchildren,” he said. “Such statements serve no purpose and only promote acrimony.”

Amir Khan, an activist of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s youth wing, told The Express Tribune the decision to name the college after Mohsin appears justified. “If the gender studies department at Postgraduate College for Boys in Haripur could be renamed after Malala Yousafzai, who is from Swat, why can’t we name a university after an APS martyr in Haripur,” the activist said.

Progress in the region

Amir said his party will protest if the PTI-led government shied away from its commitment to establish the university in Haripur. Speaking to The Express Tribune Anjuman-e-Taraqqi Pasand Musanifeen provincial general secretary Professor Waheed Qureshi said Imran’s decision to establish the technical university is commendable.

“If Peshawar, Malakand, Mardan, Kohat, DI Khan, Mardan and Swabi can have engineering universities, there should be no opposition to establishing a technical university in Haripur,” he said. “There is no engineering university in Hazara division, even though Haripur is an industrial district with over 300 functioning industrial units.”

Qamar Hayat, a social activist, said Haripur contributes Rs5 billion every year to the national and provincial exchequers. Hayat said, “I strongly support naming the university after Mohsin.”

Firm resolve

When contacted, Faisal Zaman, PTI MPA from PK-52, Haripur, said PTI will not retract its decision to establish a university in Haripur.

“Construction work on the project will begin soon,” he said. “The institute might be named after Mohsin Murtaza; I will take up the matter with senior leadership.” Zaman added his government will also establish a medical college in Haripur.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 28^th, 2015.