The faculty of Punjab University (PU) is on strike; they do not want to teach at a place that is insecure, violent, and taken over by hostile elements. The situation is indicative of the fact that the Islami Jamiat-i-Tulaba (IJT), the student wing of the Jamaat-i-Islami, has again crossed all limits to avenge the killing of its nazim Awais Aqeel, a student of PU Law College. Aqeel was allegedly murdered by one of his former colleagues Abrar Wattoo over a private issue on May 13. IJT has accused the administration of PU for providing shelter to Abrar Wattoo, wanted in multiple criminal cases. According to IJT, Abrar Wattoo, who is now a member of Shabab-e-Milli, had been given hostel accommodation by the varsity. (PU denies that Aqeel or Abrar are its students.) IJT has demanded the registration of a FIR against the PU administration for negligence regarding the killing. In order to register its protest, IJT resorted to their usual violence and created a law and order situation in the university. They manhandled professors when the latter refused to call off classes as a mourning gesture. Professor Dr Shaukat Ali, who was ridiculed and abused, is quoted as saying: “Now either the Islami Jamiat Tulaba or we will live here.” The Punjab University Academic Staff Association executive body has demanded of the university administration to cancel the admission of all IJT nazims to the hostels and academic departments. They also want the Punjab government to intervene in the matter and instruct the police to manage the law and order situation in the university. The instructors at the university have had it with the highhandedness of IJT. Turning the varsity into their fortress, the activists constantly interfere with the administrative and academic affairs of the campus. Using the hostels as their base camps, they control the cafeteria, canteens, hostel mess, and all campus activities. The hostel superintendents are forced to toe their line and in case of defiance, are roughed up badly. These custodians of morality, the veneer given and strengthened during the Zia regime, have become a parallel administration within the university. No law governs them, no rule applies to them, and no pressure could cut them down to size, all owing to the lack of political will on the part of the government and weak administration of the university. Being the only party at the varsity and having a large number of sympathisers and teachers in the campus, IJT thinks it is unaccountable to any authority. The antithesis to the IJT’s reign of terror lies in reviving student unions on campuses, purging educational institutions of the student wings of political parties, and zero tolerance towards creating impediments for academic activities. The professors are right in their stance to boycott classes unless the criminal elements of IJT are dealt with with an iron hand to set a precedent. Enough is enough. *