Post-clashes: Police, admin search IIUI campus

International Islamic University of Islamabad says it will remain closed until Tuesday

ISLAMABAD: Days after a deadly clash between two student groups left at least one dead and several injured at IIUI, police and the district administration on Sunday launched a search operation in the varsity to trace extremist literature and any weapons.

Meanwhile, the varsity has announced that it will remain closed until Tuesday.

On Sunday morning, multiple trucks carrying six reserve units of police including the Counter-Terrorism Force (CTF), the Anti-terror Squad (ATS) arrived at to the main campus of the International Islamic University of Islamabad (IIUI) along with members of the district administration and the local magistrate.

The officials of the Islamabad Police, with assistance from the varsity’s security staff, conducted a search operation in the varsity.

A police spokesperson said that Industrial Area Superintendent of Police (SP) Zubair Ahmed Sheikh, Sabzi Mandi Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Muhammad Baqir, Saddar Assistant Commissioner Gauhar Wazeer, Magistrate Ali Javed and IIUI’s security officer oversaw the search operation.

The official added that the large contingent swept the hostel blocks on campus, checking each room for arms or extremist literature.

The security teams, though, did not check the rooms in which foreign students were staying.

As many as 6,000 students reside in the hostels of IIUI, including foreigners. However, following last week’s clash, most students were asked to go home and only around 350 students remain.

Campus closed

As a security precaution and to ensure a thorough search, the IIUI administration on Sunday announced that to allow the prevailing tensions to calm down, it has been decided to keep the university closed until Tuesday, December 17.

The university administration further said that all educational activities in the varsity will remain suspended on Monday as well. However, IIUI’s administrative staff will be allowed inside to continue their duties as per routine.

Without announcing a reopening date, the varsity administration said that a decision in that regards is expected to be taken on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, owing to the prevailing security situation in the varsity, the Vice-Chancellor Committee Chairman Dr Muhammad Ali has also decided to summon a meeting of vice-chancellors of all universities in Islamabad sometime this week.

Last week, two student groups, the Islami Jamiat Taliba (IJT) and the Saraiki Students Council (SSC) had clashed as the former held an education expo at the varsity. One student, IJT activist Tufailur Rehman Hashmi was killed while 20 others were injured. Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) leader Liaquat Baloch was present in the university at the time the clash took place. It is believed that some of the students in the clash had drawn a handgun and fired it.

Following the incident, the campus was closed while the police had arrested as many as 16 suspects and obtained their four-day physical remand from a judicial magistrate. The IJT had raised questions over the influx of weapons on campus, suggesting that some students had stockpiled them. They demanded a ban on linguistic councils in the university and for the registrar to step down.

IJT Nazim Aala Muhammad Amir had also termed the clash a conspiracy against the restoration of student unions.

SSC Chairman Ali Naqi Ammar had claimed tensions began after he was assaulted by some IJT activists using iron rods. Such was the severity of his injuries that he had to be rushed to the emergency ward of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims).

Published in The Express Tribune, December 16^th, 2019.