Harassment: PU teachers condemn firing incident

Demand operation in university hostels to oust illegal occupants.

LAHORE:

Punjab University faculty members held a meeting on Wednesday to condemn firing at Prof Shaukat Ali’s house, allegedly by some Islami Jamiat Talba (IJT) students, on Tuesday.

Prof Ali, the Physics Department chairman, said that he believes the incident was a death threat. He said being a member of the syndicate and the disciplinary committee, he conducted inquiries against students involved in terrorism, mugging and other serious crimes. He speculated that some IJT students who had developed a grudge against him had opened fire at his house.

He said that two guards, Mehmood and Waheed, had witnessed the incident. Representatives of the Officers Welfare Association also condemned the attack on Dr Ali’s house.

Later, a rally was taken out from the Centre for Undergraduate Studies to Gate No 2 by faculty members. The participants demanded the administration launch an operation in the university hostels to oust illegal occupants and armed students. They also demanded the provincial government initiate legal proceedings against those nominated in the FIR.

Separately, PU Vice Chancellor Prof Mujahid Kamran presided over an emergency meeting of deans of all faculties on Wednesday. Prof Ali, Resident Officer-I Javed Sami and Student’s Affairs Adviser Iftikhar Ahmad Chaudhry were also present. A resolution was passed condemning the incident.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 4^th, 2011.