Shameful propaganda by the administration of a Facebook page. They have accused me and my colleague of spreading violence and ethnic tensions on campus. They also accuse me of conducting a study circle where I allegedly asked Pashtun students to continue their protests against the Vice Chancellor.
Here are the facts. Punjab University has repeatedly witnessed violence at the hands of goons masquerading as students for the last 40 years, way before I was even born. The latest round of violence occurred when two student groups clashed earlier this year. As a result, a number of students were expelled, a decision I was never comfortable with.
My own position is that as teachers, we need to increase our engagement with students to ensure that even if they become active politically, they do so in an ideological manner and not through violence. This is the reason why I allowed expelled students from Islami-jamiat-Tuleba to sit in my exams, and take supervision from me for their thesis.
Three days ago, Pashtun students began a sit-in in front of the VC office to demand the reinstatement of the expelled students. I worked with VC as a mediator between the administration and the students and pleaded to them to end the sit-in. On VC’s directions, I spent an evening with these students, where apart from requesting them to end their sit-in, I gave them a lecture on the importance of non-violence in politics. My main argument was that they have to learn to love their opponents, including students from Jamiat, if they are to ever break the cycle of violence that has ruined our wonderful university. I have always emphasized non-violence and reconciliation, and will be delighted if students from disparate ideological backgrounds can learn to respect each other despite their political differences.
The post by ‘Punjab University News Alert’ completely misrepresents my position and paints me as a violent person. This is infuriating, and poses a threat to my integrity and my life. I have started receiving death threats after this post was shared, and if anything happens to me, I hold the administrators of Punjab University News Alert responsible for it. I have contacted the FIA who have assured me of full cooperation against the administrators of this page and those who are sharing this false news. I have also spoken to the VC, who has assured me of his full cooperation in holding these criminals accountable.
I would also like to mention something personal here, which I usually never do. After finishing my Phd from the University of Cambridge in England, I decided to teach at places like Government College University and Punjab University because I feel we as a nation will succeed only if students from humble backgrounds are given an opportunity to succeed in life. The pay I am receiving at PU is not comparable to anything being offered to me from LUMS or other private sector universities. But it is the joy of bringing smiles to the faces of my students, who are unable to afford an expensive education that makes the whole experience worthwhile. I remain committed to teaching at public sector universities, and request other scholars to join me, so that we can truly build an educated and vibrant society.
Yet, if the life and respect of a teacher at a public university is not safe, then how can we ever guarantee the safety of our students? The government must act to ensure that our campuses become laboratories of frank discussions, rather than sites of fear and violence. The students at Punjab University are extremely bright, and they deserve much better than the extremism being imposed upon them. Whatever happens to me, I am sure one day Punjab University will become a peaceful place of learning and will complete with the best universities around the world.