Daily Times

A group of students from Punjab University accused the activists of Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba for beating them as they were holding a rally in the campus demanding better transport facilities for the varsity’s students. According to the details, the students were rallying from the Sociology department to the Vice Chancellor’s office demanding better transportation facilities but they said that the ‘goons’ of IJT ransacked their peaceful rally while hurling them with death threats. Addressing a press conference at Lahore Press Club in the evening on Wednesday, the students demanded a stern action against the IJT while staying that the activists of IJT are spoiling the peaceful environment of the university.

IJT ransacked students’ rally for better transport facilities

“We were holding a peaceful rally from the sociology department to VC office on Wednesday against the poor transport facility for the students of the varsity. The Chief Security Officer of PU Col retd Obaid stopped our rally to move forward and threatened us of grave consequences,” said Khubaib Ahmed, a student of MPhil part II from the sociology department. Khubaib, who was leading the rally, said that we launched strong protest against the CSO who later allowed the rally to proceed. When our rally reached near the agriculture department, over a dozen activists of IJT came and started giving us threats to end the rally immediately, he added. He was of the view that the ‘goons’ of IJT manhandled us and tried to snatch our mobile phones in the presence of Chief Security Officer who was just a silent spectator as he didn’t stop them from manhandling. The police was called on the spot but still no action was taken against them as I think they were called on the ‘behest’ of the administration, he said. He further added that police asked us to leave the university administration immediately as the police cannot provide us security. He was of the view that he is still receiving life threats from the IJT and they have called more students from Science College Wahdat Road in the hostel to beat us. We have also given an application to SHO of Muslim Town Police Station against the IJT’s today’s episode, he said.

Babar Shehzad, another participant of the rally said that the PU should buy two buses every year for the students as per the rule but it is being violated for years and therefore they organized the ‘peaceful’ rally demanding better transport facilities. He was of the view that it is a clear policy of the university that no political wing will be allowed to work in the campus but still the presence of IJT can be seen everywhere in the PU. The students accused the Nazim of IJT from Sociology department Abdullah Awan for ransacking their rally and said that the IJT has complete backing of the incumbent Vice Chancellor.

Published in Daily Times, March 21^st 2019.