IJT terrorists manhandle PU teachers, admin officials

Daily Times
* Clash took place after event organised by IJT without admin’s permission

* Admin concerned over MPs’ participation in functions

LAHORE: The Islami Jamiat Talba (IJT) activists manhandled senior teachers and administrative officials of the Punjab University (PU) for trying to stop them from organising a ceremony without the administration’s permission on Thursday.

Reportedly, the clash occurred in the lawn of the varsity’s Philosophy Department, where the IJT was holding a prize-awarding ceremony, in which Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) leaders Farid Paracha and Hafiz Salman Butt also participated. The PU administration’s officials and some teachers, after receiving information, tried to stop the function, upon which the IJT activists got infuriated and allegedly tortured them. Shortly after, more teachers and officials, including Prof Dr Amin Athat, Prof Dr Shaukat Ali, Prof Dr Abdul Ghaffar, Javed Sami, Chaudhry Iftikhar Ahmed, rushed to the Philosophy Department to control the situation.

The event, organised by the IJT without permission, disturbed the environment in the academic block of the new campus, the varsity administration said, adding that the Jamiat had also called its activists from the Government Science College, Wahdat Road, to participate in the event.

An official statement issued by the PU vice chancellor’s adviser, Col (r) Ikram, claimed that the (IJT) students not only misbehaved with the senior teachers and administrative officers but also abused and pushed them to make them go away. Such insulting behaviour towards teachers was without any parallel in the history of any educational institution, the statement added.

According to PU Resident Officer Javed Sami, IJT Nazim Zubair Safdar, Hafiz Wajid, Amir Yaqub and Rashid Manzoor were among those who misbehaved with the teachers. He held that the students’ organisation should abide by the varsity’s rules and regulations, adding that those who manhandled the teachers should be rusticated. Sami further said that participation of the political leaders in the illegal event had a negative impact on the peaceful environment of the campus.

Sources said that Punjab University Academic Staff Association (PUASA) President Mehr Saeed Akhtar’s sons were also in the group that manhandled the teachers.

Meanwhile, the PU spokesman said that the academic staff had also condemned the incident. He said that the staff had resolved to maintain peaceful academic environment and ensure respect of the teachers and administrative officers. No students’ organisation would be allowed to violate the rules and regulations, and high values and traditions of the oldest and largest seat of higher learning in Pakistan, the PUASA pledged.

The spokesman further said the PU administration had shown serious concern over the participation of some political leaders in the illegal functions held at the campus by the IJT students. “The administration hopes that the esteemed political leaders, who hold great respect, will avoid attending functions organised without a prior information of the administration,” he added.