9 arrested students released
Nine medical students, including a disabled, who were arrested last week while protesting were released on Thursday.
BAHAWALPUR:
Nine medical students, including a disabled, who were arrested last week while protesting were released on Thursday after their bail was approved.
The students had been booked by the police under the Anti-Terrorism Act. The students – Asim Iqbal, Usama Basharat, Qamar Iqbal, Safdar Malik, Sajjad Bodla, Bilal Nasir, Maaz Burlas and Umair Zafar – were presented with garlands by many fellow students who had gone to the Bahwalpur Central Jail to celebrate their release.
Meanwhile, five students from Quaid-i-Azam Medical College (QMC) submitted an application to a court against the college principal Ejaz Shah, the DPO and police officials for baton charging them during last week’s protests.
The students – Khawar, Abu Ubaida, Adnan Bajwa, Shahid and Asghar – submitted the application in the Additional District and Sessions Court. The court will hear the case on August 27.
A medico-legal report of the students prepared on the orders of the area magistrate reveals that the students were tortured by police officials.
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has taken notice of the QMC principal’s alleged misconduct and police torture. “This incident is shameful and the police must be reprimanded for torturing innocent students,” he said, adding “Students have every right to protest for their rights and the college administration has no authority to resort to violence.” Sharif ordered the CMIT chairman to look into the matter and has sought a detailed report of the incident within a week.
Meanwhile, QMC students protested against the college principal Ejaz Shah for the sixth consecutive day on Thursday. Students blocked the Circular Road during their protests and said that they would not stop protesting until the college principal resigned.
The students agreed to opening one side of the blocked road for traffic at the request of Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) leader Tahir Janbaz. Victoria Hospital’s OPD and operation theatres that had also been closed as a result of the strike were opened for patients after 12 pm.
During the demonstration, the students shouted slogans against the principal and demanded that the government immediately remove him from his post.
They also called for action against the senior college administration that supported the police torture of students.
Anjuman-e-Tajiran and other political figures met with students and assured them of their support.
“We fully support the QMC students in their struggle. Their requests for a reduction in school fees are justified and the school administration had no right to resort to violence to silence them,” said Anjuman-e-Tajiran representative Shafeeq Qadir.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Amir Yar Waran also met with the protesting QMC students and assured them of his support.
To express their solidarity, Young Doctors Association and Students Action Committee from Nishtar Hospital Multan also protested against the police torture of the QMC students. Nishtar Hospital medical superintendent (MS) Dr Wasim Rabbani, Zahid Sarfaraz, Mazhar Ch and others participated in the protests. They demanded that the government suspend the DPO, police officials involved and the college principal. However, patients at the hospital complained that the protest had disrupted hospital activities and several patients were forced to visit private clinics.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 27th, 2010.
Nine medical students, including a disabled, who were arrested last week while protesting were released on Thursday after their bail was approved.
The students had been booked by the police under the Anti-Terrorism Act. The students – Asim Iqbal, Usama Basharat, Qamar Iqbal, Safdar Malik, Sajjad Bodla, Bilal Nasir, Maaz Burlas and Umair Zafar – were presented with garlands by many fellow students who had gone to the Bahwalpur Central Jail to celebrate their release.
Meanwhile, five students from Quaid-i-Azam Medical College (QMC) submitted an application to a court against the college principal Ejaz Shah, the DPO and police officials for baton charging them during last week’s protests.
The students – Khawar, Abu Ubaida, Adnan Bajwa, Shahid and Asghar – submitted the application in the Additional District and Sessions Court. The court will hear the case on August 27.
A medico-legal report of the students prepared on the orders of the area magistrate reveals that the students were tortured by police officials.
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has taken notice of the QMC principal’s alleged misconduct and police torture. “This incident is shameful and the police must be reprimanded for torturing innocent students,” he said, adding “Students have every right to protest for their rights and the college administration has no authority to resort to violence.” Sharif ordered the CMIT chairman to look into the matter and has sought a detailed report of the incident within a week.
Meanwhile, QMC students protested against the college principal Ejaz Shah for the sixth consecutive day on Thursday. Students blocked the Circular Road during their protests and said that they would not stop protesting until the college principal resigned.
The students agreed to opening one side of the blocked road for traffic at the request of Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) leader Tahir Janbaz. Victoria Hospital’s OPD and operation theatres that had also been closed as a result of the strike were opened for patients after 12 pm.
During the demonstration, the students shouted slogans against the principal and demanded that the government immediately remove him from his post.
They also called for action against the senior college administration that supported the police torture of students.
Anjuman-e-Tajiran and other political figures met with students and assured them of their support.
“We fully support the QMC students in their struggle. Their requests for a reduction in school fees are justified and the school administration had no right to resort to violence to silence them,” said Anjuman-e-Tajiran representative Shafeeq Qadir.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Amir Yar Waran also met with the protesting QMC students and assured them of his support.
To express their solidarity, Young Doctors Association and Students Action Committee from Nishtar Hospital Multan also protested against the police torture of the QMC students. Nishtar Hospital medical superintendent (MS) Dr Wasim Rabbani, Zahid Sarfaraz, Mazhar Ch and others participated in the protests. They demanded that the government suspend the DPO, police officials involved and the college principal. However, patients at the hospital complained that the protest had disrupted hospital activities and several patients were forced to visit private clinics.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 27th, 2010.