Black and blue: Karakoram university students protest against attack on professor

Demand immediate arrest of culprits involved in incident

GILGIT: Students and teachers protested on Saturday to demand the arrest of the culprits behind the attack on a professor.

Chairman of the Agriculture and Food Technology department of the Karakoram International University (KIU) Dr Shahnawaz was hit with batons and iron rods by a group of students.

In his FIR, Shahnawaz pinned the responsibility on the shoulders of Imamia Students Organisation (ISO) activists. The teacher suffered head and neck injuries.



“This is sheer terrorism and we want a severe punishment for those involved,” said a student while addressing the demonstration.

“If the government is sincere with education and the university, it should immediately strike the culprits off the student list and register cases against them under the anti-terrorism act,” said another pupil.

The injured professor, undergoing treatment at a hospital in Gilgit, told the media that the assailants were masked and hit him on the head with iron rods. He added the attack came a day after a religious event was held by the KIU administration.

The university administration decided to organise the event instead of allowing a particular group to do so, he added.

According to an official, a delegation from ISO met Dr Shahnawaz in his office to express their reservations over the event. “They were not happy with the content and therefore wanted the event to be reorganised. However, things somehow turned violent,” said the official.

Police have booked nine students under the anti-terrorism act and three of them have also been arrested, a police official said.



A spokesperson at KIU, Shahid Shigri, told The Express Tribune that the university management had started an investigation to decide the future course of action.

In 2012, a clash of two student groups over the same issue left two people dead, including a policeman. 

Published in The Express Tribune, November 15^th, 2015.