On opposite sides: Students ‘provoked’ law enforcers, says university

Sindh University’s officials claim that students were armed and intended to hold a violent protest.

HYDERABAD:

The Sindh University has refuted the claims that a group of students, belonging to a banned nationalist outfit Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz, were attacked by the Rangers and police. In a statement issued on Friday, the varsity’s spokesperson maintained that the protesting students fired aerial shots and hurled abuses at the law enforcers to provoke a reaction.

“The Rangers used minimal force. They only used tear gas to disperse the protesters,” reads the statement. A violent clash erupted on Thursday near the SU’s hostel when the protesters tried to march towards the administration building but were prevented by the police. The protesting students claimed that they were beaten and that the Rangers also opened fire.

“We only wanted to raise our voice against the lack of facilities at the varsity and to protest against the arrest of our leader Junaid Khoso. But the law enforcers started a crackdown,” alleged Allahdad Siyal, a student leader.

The university, however, said that the students were armed and they intended to hold a violent protest against the arrest of Khoso who was detained from the campus for possessing illegal weapons a few days ago. “JSMM is a banned organisation. Its supporters can’t be allowed to carry out any activity in the university,” said the registrar Ghulam Mohammed Bhutto.

Three JSMM workers, Nazeer Bhalai, Imtiaz Abro and Aziz,  were arrested from the varsity on Thursday.

On Friday, JSMM also held protests in different parts of Jamshoro against these arrests.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 15^th, 2014.