Daily Times

LAHORE: The situation remained tense at the University of the Punjab on Tuesday as well as clashes between Islami Jamiat-e-Taliba (IJT) and Pakhtun Baloch Students Union continued. The university expelled 37 students involved in violent clashes. Police held a search operation in the hostels and arrested more than 100 students.

On the other hand, the Punjab University also identified and expelled 37 students involved in Monday’s brawl and other activities. For arresting those students, police held search operations in PU hostels.

Minister for Higher Education Syed Raza Ali Gillani announced that it had been decided to expel 37 students to maintain the law and order.

Earlier on Tuesday morning, the PU Academic Council held its emergency meeting. It issued show cause notices to 37 students after identifying them. Registrar Khalid Khan told the media that several other measures were also taken to keep the university environment peaceful. These measures include the admission and attendance of students on biometric system. He said that the administration had identified 37 students belonging to both groups through CCTV footage who were involved in disturbing the academic environment.

The activists of IJT also held protest at Campus Underpass and demanded the arrest of Baloch students, accusing them of being involved in Monday’s vandalising. They also threatened to disturb the provincial capital’s peace.

IJT PU Nazim Jibran Butt said that they would hold a city-wide protest. “The Punjab government will be responsible for any eventuality if it fails to arrest Baloch students,” he said.

The protest of IJT caused massive traffic jam around the PU Campus, including at Canal Road, Wahdat Road, Kalma Chowk, Ferozpur Road, Muslim Town, Maulana Shaukat Ali Road and others. People remained stuck in traffic for several hours. The traffic was restored after police ended IJT’s protest.

On Tuesday, a police flag march was held inside the campus. A few hours after the march, violent clashes once again started inside the PU premises. Operations DIG Haider Ashraf supervised the operation. Iqbal Town SP Umer Farooq was also present on the occasion.

While addressing a press conference at Lahore Press Club, representatives of Pakhtun and Baloch students blamed the IJT for starting the brawl by beating up a Pakhtun student. They demanded the Punjab government and civil society provide them safety as they were being attacked by IJT and police. They said that two days ago, activists of IJT had also beaten up Baloch and Pakhtun students.

Talking about Tuesday’s police operation, they said that the IJT activists had attacked Baloch students residing in Hotel No 1. Later, police also arrested all the Baloch and Pakhtun students instead of arresting the IJT activists. “Provide us safety. Otherwise we will return back to Baluchistan and FATA,” they said.

Published in Daily Times, January 24^th 2018.