Enraged by expulsions on disciplinary grounds, they beat up a senior faculty member, leaving him bloodied and unconscious. They also ransacked the vice-chancellor’s office and residence. Such aggression against a teacher has been unprecedented at the university. Of course the university has a long and bloody history of student violence. But there have been few recent incidents of clashes among rival student groups spilling over. The last such incident took place in 2007 when some students humiliated cricket hero Imran Khan on campus.
Even though the trigger for violence was different in the two incidents, the result was identical: terrified teachers refusing to take classes unless the perpetrators of violence were brought to book. Meeting this demand means the Punjab government’s taking action against the culprits. It would also have to act against the intimidating ideologues and threatening bullies operating in the university as members of the student wing of a political party with religious moorings. The university administration says it has written to the provincial government more than once, asking for the police to take action. But this exercise has been in vain. The government was conspicuous by its inaction during Thursday’s violence making the university administration and staff even more nervous.
The only way to restore peace and normalcy on campus is administrative action aimed at ejecting all those responsible for violence in the present as well as in the past. The activists of this student organisation have wielded control at the Punjab University for so long that they would resist any action perceived as a threat to their influence and power. Fortunately, they have lost support among the students and their ideological influence over the teachers is also on the wane. They no longer have the strength to thwart action against them. The time, it seems, is right to take strict action against them lest they once more resort to violence.
A first information report (FIR) has been registered against the Islami Jamiat Taliba (IJT) activists who allegedly rampaged through the office of Punjab University (PU) College of Earth and Environmental Sciences Principal Prof Iktikhar Baloch – who is also the chairman of the PU disciplinary committee, PU Resident Officer (RO) Shahid Gull said on Friday.
However, the RO said that the accused activists were still present in the varsity and were residing in hostels, adding that he was helpless since police was not cooperating in the matter.
According to the FIR registered at the Muslim Town Police Station by Dr Iftikhar – who was severely injured in the attack by IJT activists – Usman Ashraf, Aurunzaib, Wajid, Abdumanan and a dozen others, armed with weapons and iron rods, had taken part in the attacks.
Special meet: Separately, PU VC Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran chaired a special meeting of the Deans Committee in his office, which condemned the ransacking of the VC’s office and residence as well as the attack on Prof Iftikhar. The meeting demanded the Punjab government immediately launch a police operation to capture the IJT activists responsible for the incident. Describing the attack on Iftikhar as “attempted murder”, the meeting said Thursday’s incident was the most unfortunate and unprecedented in PU’s history. The meeting maintained that IJT activists, along with expelled students, had repeatedly been found involved in violent acts, gross misconduct and breach of university rules. “They are trying to unleash a reign of terror and harassment among students to establish their stronghold in the varsity,” the meeting said.
Indefinite boycott: Also, the PU Academic Staff Association (PUASA) has decided to observe an indefinite boycott of classes until all the activists, illegally residing in varsity hostels, were expelled from the varsity’s premises and until a peaceful academic atmosphere was restored on the campus. The meeting further observed that the entire teaching fraternity was fully united and would not compromise in the matter of its honour or the maintenance of a peaceful academic atmosphere at any cost. Condemning the IJT’s hooliganism, the association pledged that they would continue their peaceful protest in a democratic fashion and would bring out their protest procession regularly.
Separately, Nauman, a PU student, said the varsity students opposed the IJT activists for their “hooliganism” and that the student community was disappointed since no action was taken by the government in this regard.
Ironic display: However, in a classic display of irony, the nominated IJT activists on Friday demonstrated a show of their power in presence of dozens of security guards by staging a “demonstration” in favour of the injured teacher. Soon after the Friday prayers, the activists observed a protest, as those who had injured the principal and a number of others gathered in front of the varsity’s Jamia Mosque and shouted their slogans. The IJT activists shouted slogans in favour of varsity teachers and distributed pamphlets displaying their policy in connection with respecting teachers.
Speaking on the occasion, PU IJT Nazim Hassaan Bin Salman said the IJT respected the varsity teachers and denied the group’s involvement in the attack on Dr Iftikhar, adding that the IJT wanted a judicial inquiry into the incident. {#}
Related: Punjab University Teachers on Strike
Related: Punjab University Teachers on Strike