Daily Times

LAHORE: Punjab University (PU) Vice Chancellor (VC) Dr Niaz Ahmed has allegedly allowed the Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT), a student wing of Jamat-e-Islami (JI), to consolidate its position in the university by organising events on campus and starting moral policing.

Sources said that despite the ban on holding any programme by any political, ethnic or sectarian student group in the Punjab University, the IJT held a gathering of its old office-bearers on October 27 at the Student Teacher Centre, which was attended by former JI chief Munawar Hassan, Liaquat Baloch, Ameerul Azeem and Housing Minister Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed, who is a former JI activist.

Sources also claimed that gathering was attended by teachers having sympathies with the student organisation.

Few days ago, five Punjab University students allegedly associated with the IJT tortured a man, who was sitting with his wife on campus. Punjab Governor Chaudhry Sarwar also took notice of the incident and sought a report from the administration.

Talking to Daily Times, PU Registrar Dr Khalid Khan said that programme was organised without the permission of administration. “The members of the student organisation entered the campus forcefully upon which the administration called in the police.” He said that administration was taking disciplinary action against those involved in organising the event.

He added that the university administration had already circulated a notice declaring that any political, ethnic or sectarian student group is not allowed to hold any function. “The university organises functions under the Director Student Affairs and according to its calendar.”

It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had also written a letter to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), objecting to the appointment of the new Punjab University (PU) vice chancellor.

MNA and Central leader of PTI Andleeb Abbas in her letter to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sardar Muhammad Raza wrote that Dr Niaz Ahmed Akhtar was notified on June 2 as the new PU vice chancellor following his interview by the then chief minister Shehbaz Sharif two days before his government’s tenure ended.

On June 5, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan also took strong exception to the appointment of the academic and said the professor selected for “this highly sensitive job was reported to have served at some point as head of the IJT, the student body protected and indulged by dictatorial regimes to hold the university hostage through violence and ideological blackmail”.

According to his appointment letter, the former Punjab government following the instructions of Supreme Court appointed Dr Niaz Ahmed as PU VC. However, sources said that after strong influence of the main office-bearer of religious and political parties, the former Punjab government awarded extra marks to Dr Niaz Ahmed during the interview just to please the religious political parties.

Published in Daily Times, October 30^th 2018.