Three students arrested ‘for vandalising college’
FIR against six PSF members for beating teacher, threatening others.
PSF Divisional President Arif Shah denied that any PSF members were involved in the attacks. PHOTO: FILE
MULTAN:
Bahauddin Zakariya police arrested three students on Wednesday and registered cases against six People’s Student Federation (PSF) members after more than 80 people entered the Government Emerson College on Bosan Road and vandalised the offices.
Witnesses said that some 30 PSF members entered the college on motorcycles. The group was led by Rana Zaigham, a former president of the PSF Bosan Road unit, who warned the teachers and staff against “interfering” in the students’ matters.
Witnesses said Zaigham threatened those who stopped the student organisation from carrying on its activities. They said some 50 men later joined the group and attacked the office of the principal, the administration block and some classrooms. The administration called the police, who managed to arrest three people. Zaigham was not one of them.
Prof Aftab Khakwani said he saw Zaigham and three companions snatching a laptop from one of the students on Wednesday morning. He said when he reprimanded them, they beat him before fleeing after picking lock on the college’s back gate.
Some half-an-hour later, he said, they returned with a large group and gave speeches warning teachers and staff to stay out of students’ politics. They also vandalised college property.
Students’ Affairs Director Prof Abdur Razzaq Shahid told The Express Tribune that some teachers had tried to calm down the students, but to no avail. Police had to be called, he added. He said two incidents of laptop snatching were reported in the last week. Both were blamed on PSF members, he added.
He said on Tuesday Vice Principal Dr Naeemul Haq scolded Faisal Mughees, a PSF member, for driving a motorcycle on the college premises. The motorcycle was impounded, but released after Mughees apologised.
Shahid said that the principal and Multan division director of colleges were in Burewala on Wednesday on account of the CM’s visit. A meeting would likely be called on Thursday (today) to discuss the incident, he added.
Some teachers told The Express Tribune that attendance had declined in the last week.
Duty Officer Fayyaz Hussain of Bahauddin Zakariya police station told The Express Tribune that those arrested were not PSF members. He said the college administration had filed a complaint against six PSF members, including Zaighum.
PSF Divisional President Arif Shah denied that any PSF members were involved in the attacks. He said that three professors had beaten up a second year student Imran Wyne a few days ago for pushing the Islami Jamiat Talba agenda. He said the Wednesday incident was a reaction to the beating and that the PSF was being unfairly dragged into the matter.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 14th, 2013.
Bahauddin Zakariya police arrested three students on Wednesday and registered cases against six People’s Student Federation (PSF) members after more than 80 people entered the Government Emerson College on Bosan Road and vandalised the offices.
Witnesses said that some 30 PSF members entered the college on motorcycles. The group was led by Rana Zaigham, a former president of the PSF Bosan Road unit, who warned the teachers and staff against “interfering” in the students’ matters.
Witnesses said Zaigham threatened those who stopped the student organisation from carrying on its activities. They said some 50 men later joined the group and attacked the office of the principal, the administration block and some classrooms. The administration called the police, who managed to arrest three people. Zaigham was not one of them.
Prof Aftab Khakwani said he saw Zaigham and three companions snatching a laptop from one of the students on Wednesday morning. He said when he reprimanded them, they beat him before fleeing after picking lock on the college’s back gate.
Some half-an-hour later, he said, they returned with a large group and gave speeches warning teachers and staff to stay out of students’ politics. They also vandalised college property.
Students’ Affairs Director Prof Abdur Razzaq Shahid told The Express Tribune that some teachers had tried to calm down the students, but to no avail. Police had to be called, he added. He said two incidents of laptop snatching were reported in the last week. Both were blamed on PSF members, he added.
He said on Tuesday Vice Principal Dr Naeemul Haq scolded Faisal Mughees, a PSF member, for driving a motorcycle on the college premises. The motorcycle was impounded, but released after Mughees apologised.
Shahid said that the principal and Multan division director of colleges were in Burewala on Wednesday on account of the CM’s visit. A meeting would likely be called on Thursday (today) to discuss the incident, he added.
Some teachers told The Express Tribune that attendance had declined in the last week.
Duty Officer Fayyaz Hussain of Bahauddin Zakariya police station told The Express Tribune that those arrested were not PSF members. He said the college administration had filed a complaint against six PSF members, including Zaighum.
PSF Divisional President Arif Shah denied that any PSF members were involved in the attacks. He said that three professors had beaten up a second year student Imran Wyne a few days ago for pushing the Islami Jamiat Talba agenda. He said the Wednesday incident was a reaction to the beating and that the PSF was being unfairly dragged into the matter.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 14th, 2013.