Professor rejects olive branch

Restaurant owner seeks forgiveness and settlement after son assaulted professor

KARACHI:

The father of a man accused of assaulting a University of Karachi professor has gone to the academic's home seeking forgiveness and an out-of-court settlement, but the professor has refused to bury the matter before the alleged main perpetrator is arrested.

Professor Dr Arif Khan Saqi, chairman of the UoK's Department of Islamic Studies, told The Express Tribune that he had declined an immediate reconciliation, insisting that the case should proceed through the courts.

The incident occurred on Tuesday near Safoora Chowrangi, where Saqi said his vehicle allegedly collided with a black double-cabin pickup outside a restaurant. He said he stopped the occupants and asked them to compensate the driver for the damage, pointing out that the vehicle belonged to neither him nor the driver, who was earning his livelihood by driving it.

Instead, he alleged, the dispute escalated into violence. Saqi said he was repeatedly struck in the face with a rifle butt and suffered deep injuries to his head, while his nephew, who was driving at the time, was also assaulted.

Police have arrested two suspects, identified as Gul Sher and Taj Muhammad, while the alleged main accused remains at large.

Following the incident, restaurant owner Ali Gohar Shah visited Saqi's residence and sought an apology and settlement, reportedly telling him that "the children made a mistake." Saqi said he rejected that characterisation, arguing that what happened was not a mistake but "bullying and hooliganism".

He said he would not consider reconciliation until the main accused was brought into custody.

"I teach my students ethics, humanity, respect and tolerance," Saqi said, adding that the assault raised serious questions about the growing culture of violence and the use of power in society. "Someone has to stand against the culture of bullying and hooliganism," he said.

Saqi also said that despite being a Grade-21 professor, he still lived in a rented house and that the vehicle involved in the incident was not his own.The professor said he used to travel by motorcycle, but after a minor accident last week, he stopped riding and began travelling in a rented car.

Meanwhile, University of Karachi teachers and students staged a protest rally against the incident, demanding the arrest of the main accused and indiscriminate legal action against everyone involved.