PU murder: Jamiat pelts VC’s office with stones
Teachers announce boycott following ‘assault’ on colleagues.
LAHORE:
Islami Jamiat Taliba (IJT) on Wednesday demonstrated in front of the office of the Punjab University’s (PU) vice chancellor (VC) and pelted it with stones, breaking some of the window panes.
They rejected administration’s claims that Awais Aqeel – who had been shot dead on campus on May 13 – was not a university student.
The IJT showed reporters Aqeel’s library card.
The card has his picture and identifies him as an LLB student at the university’s Law College.
Jamiat members claimed that Abrar Wattoo, whom they accused of killing Aqeel, was being protected by the administration.
A PU spokesman had said that Aqeel was not a “regular” student at the university.
He said that Aqeel had enrolled at the law college and sat for his LLB Part 1 examination in 2011 but had failed all exams.
He said that he had then applied for sitting supplementary exams.
IJT information secretary Malik Arif Hussain criticised the administration for issuing “misleading statements” instead of taking action against those responsible. “We gave a two-day ultimatum to the police to arrest the suspects,” he said. He said that some members had lost their temper and had then broken windows of the VC office.
Two Chemistry Department teachers later claimed that they had been beaten up by IJT members when they tried to persuade them to end the protest. Following the “assault”, the Academic Staff Association (ASA) announced that they would boycott classes from Thursday (today). ASA president Amir Sarwar demanded that all IJT nazims be expelled and that the IJT be banned.
Sarwar then said that the teachers would go to classes only if police provided them security.
Hussain denied that Jamiat members had beaten up or misbehaved with any teacher.
Vice Chancellor Prof Mujahid Kamran condemned the “attack” on the teachers. He described it as “the most shameful act in the history of Punjab University”.
He said that the matter had been brought to the notice of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 17th, 2012.
Islami Jamiat Taliba (IJT) on Wednesday demonstrated in front of the office of the Punjab University’s (PU) vice chancellor (VC) and pelted it with stones, breaking some of the window panes.
They rejected administration’s claims that Awais Aqeel – who had been shot dead on campus on May 13 – was not a university student.
The IJT showed reporters Aqeel’s library card.
The card has his picture and identifies him as an LLB student at the university’s Law College.
Jamiat members claimed that Abrar Wattoo, whom they accused of killing Aqeel, was being protected by the administration.
A PU spokesman had said that Aqeel was not a “regular” student at the university.
He said that Aqeel had enrolled at the law college and sat for his LLB Part 1 examination in 2011 but had failed all exams.
He said that he had then applied for sitting supplementary exams.
IJT information secretary Malik Arif Hussain criticised the administration for issuing “misleading statements” instead of taking action against those responsible. “We gave a two-day ultimatum to the police to arrest the suspects,” he said. He said that some members had lost their temper and had then broken windows of the VC office.
Two Chemistry Department teachers later claimed that they had been beaten up by IJT members when they tried to persuade them to end the protest. Following the “assault”, the Academic Staff Association (ASA) announced that they would boycott classes from Thursday (today). ASA president Amir Sarwar demanded that all IJT nazims be expelled and that the IJT be banned.
Sarwar then said that the teachers would go to classes only if police provided them security.
Hussain denied that Jamiat members had beaten up or misbehaved with any teacher.
Vice Chancellor Prof Mujahid Kamran condemned the “attack” on the teachers. He described it as “the most shameful act in the history of Punjab University”.
He said that the matter had been brought to the notice of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 17th, 2012.