Campus politics: No ban on rallies can stop IJT from protest

Despite ban, student organisation stages rally at Punjab University; spokesperson says notices issued.

LAHORE: A right-wing student organisation staged a demonstration over the situation in Syria inside the Punjab University campus despite a ban on all student activities enforced by the administration.

On Thursday, the Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba – the student wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) – managed to gather a number of students, who marched from department to department, condemning a purported chemical weapon attack in the war-ravaged Middle Eastern country.

After a recent clash between two student activist groups, the Punjab University administration had banned all events, activities and functions by student organisations. The Punjab Higher Education Department (HED) later extended the ban to all public universities across the province.

When contacted, the varsity administration initially expressed ignorance over rally staged by the IJT.

The PU spokesperson said no student groups were allowed to hold events. “Only the administration can hold events at the university [after the ban],” he added.

Khurram Shahzad claimed a few students gathered at a place against the ongoing war in Syria and they had been issued notices for violating the disciplinary code. “The PU administration will not allow any student activity without its permission,” he reiterated.

The IJT’s protest also did not sit well with other student groups of the Punjab University, who claimed the rally was a clear violation of the ban and showed the administration’s favourable attitude towards the student group.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Pakhtun Education Development Movement (PEDM) representative Jaffar Khan questioned the administration’s silence over the rally.

“It looks like the ban is for student bodies other than the IJT, as they are free to do whatever they want on campus,” he alleged. “A similar rally was held a week ago and the administration did nothing about it either.”

On the other hand, the PEDM has been strictly told not to hold any activity on campus. “We have been following the rules and regulations of the varsity,” Jaffar said. “We are even not allowed to protest over such discriminatory acts.”

On Tuesday, Pakhtun and other ethnic council members held a protest on Canal Road outside the Punjab University against the behaviour of the police and PU administration. They alleged those identified in the FIR of last month’s clash were yet to be arrested and were given a free-hand on the campus.

They alleged the PU administration was in cahoots with the IJT and was protecting those who had attacked their cultural event on March 21.

The Punjab government has already extended the ban on student organisations, barring them from holding any function at any public university across Punjab.

In a letter sent to all vice-chancellors of public universities of Punjab, the HED wrote: “Activities by students in the name of holding functions should not be allowed, on their own, in order to ensure conducive educational environment. Such activities must be under the administrative control of the vice chancellors without exception.”

The letter came in the wake of violent clashes between the IJT and PEDM, when the latter’s cultural event at the Punjab University was attacked. The clash between the two students groups ended when police resorted to baton charging and firing teargas shells at the students. The clash left over a dozen students injured with several of them hospitalised.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 14^th, 2017.