Student groups clash at Quaid-e-Azam University
Police deployed at university to prevent further violence between scholars divided on ethnic lines
Police deployed at university to prevent further violence between scholars divided on ethnic lines. PHOTO: QAU.EDU.PK
ISLAMABAD:
Two groups of students clashed at the Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU) on late Saturday night, after which a contingent of police was deployed at the university to prevent any further clashes.
Police officials told The Express Tribune that the members of Sindhi and Baloch students groups clashed over some issue. The university administration, however, succeeded to control the situation in time. Police said there were a few injuries in the clash but they were of minor nature.
No group or the university administration came forward to formally lodge a complaint with the police and thus the police did not register any case. However, a police team was deployed at the university to prevent any further clashes. The police remained deployed at the campus throughout Sunday.
A university official said that students of Pakistan Studies department had gone on a trip and some students had quarrelled during the trip. “When they returned in the evening from the trip, both the groups called their friends and they fought again,” the official said. He said one student was injured in the clash.
The official said that the situation was controlled immediately and there was no further violence. It is pertinent to note that clashes at the capital’s major public sector universities including QAU, Federal Urdu University, and the International Islamic University were a common feature.
All these universities have dozens of active political, ethnic and sectarian student groups.
In January this year, Secretariat police had booked members of Sindhi and Pakhtun student groups for clashing at QAU. Similarly, MSF and Pakhtun student groups also resorted to violence against each other at Urdu university on January 24 this year. Both these clashes had left several students injured.
A police officer said that administrations of these universities were responsible for ensuring law and order at their premises. Police can only intervene when asked by the university administrations, he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 24th, 2017.
Two groups of students clashed at the Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU) on late Saturday night, after which a contingent of police was deployed at the university to prevent any further clashes.
Police officials told The Express Tribune that the members of Sindhi and Baloch students groups clashed over some issue. The university administration, however, succeeded to control the situation in time. Police said there were a few injuries in the clash but they were of minor nature.
No group or the university administration came forward to formally lodge a complaint with the police and thus the police did not register any case. However, a police team was deployed at the university to prevent any further clashes. The police remained deployed at the campus throughout Sunday.
A university official said that students of Pakistan Studies department had gone on a trip and some students had quarrelled during the trip. “When they returned in the evening from the trip, both the groups called their friends and they fought again,” the official said. He said one student was injured in the clash.
The official said that the situation was controlled immediately and there was no further violence. It is pertinent to note that clashes at the capital’s major public sector universities including QAU, Federal Urdu University, and the International Islamic University were a common feature.
All these universities have dozens of active political, ethnic and sectarian student groups.
In January this year, Secretariat police had booked members of Sindhi and Pakhtun student groups for clashing at QAU. Similarly, MSF and Pakhtun student groups also resorted to violence against each other at Urdu university on January 24 this year. Both these clashes had left several students injured.
A police officer said that administrations of these universities were responsible for ensuring law and order at their premises. Police can only intervene when asked by the university administrations, he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 24th, 2017.