Student killed as two groups clash outside NUML

Brawl leaves five injured, suspects on the run

ISLAMABAD:

A student lost his life and five of his friends sustained injuries when a fight broke out between two student groups outside Islamabad’s National University of Modern Languages (NUML) in the federal capital Thursday night.

Police said Abdul Haq, a BBA student in his third semester, died after he was multiple times stabbed with a dagger and five other students were struck with bricks, knives, and fists.

Police said the victims came under attack when they along with other students entering buses after the end of their evening classes at around 7:20 pm.

Terming it an ethnic clash, police said the two groups had had a verbal spat a day ago in the varsity's canteen but that time they had stopped short of a physical fight. However, the next day one of the groups went violent, causing chaos and fear among the students, police said, adding that a stampede broke out due to the fight and students had to hide inside university buses.

Following the clash, the deceased and injured were transported to the Pakistan Institute of Management (PIMS) Hospital. After the medico-legal formalities, the body was handed over to the family and the injured were discharged from the hospital.

Taking notice of the incident, SP Industrial Area Liaquat Niazi attended the scene and deputed a heavy police contingent for security outside the university and the hospital. He ordered the ASP Industrial Area and the Sector I-9 SHO to launch a manhunt for the killers.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Niazi confirmed that both the groups had had a verbal spat on Wednesday in the canteen which resulted in the clash among them a day later. He said ethnic political groups of students were active in NUML like some other universities in the federal capital.

He said the deceased belonged to a Pakhtun group. Islamabad IG Qazi Jameelur Rehman has also taken notice of the incident and ordered the relevant officials to immediately apprehend the attackers.