LAHORE, Dec 3: The Joint Action Committee on Tuesday strongly reacted to President Pervez Musharraf’s statement in which he termed the teachers, doctors and students opportunists and refused to withdraw the Model University Ordinance.

In a statement, JAC leaders Nazim Hasnain, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Prof Haris Rasheed, Majid Wazir and others criticized the president for not taking the issue seriously. They said the president’s statement carried a message for the newly-elected government not to act against the wishes of the military regime.

They said the president should realize that the privatization of the medical and educational institutions would directly affect the life of common man.

They urged the president to take teachers, doctors and students into confidence on the issue and order repeal of the ordinance.

They also called for withdrawal of the decision to constitute boards of governors for medical and educational institutions in the larger interest of the masses.

They also condemned police for beating teachers and students in Shakargarh.

Meanwhile, teachers and students boycotted the classes after 10.30am in different colleges in the city and held rallies to protest against victimization of teachers and doctors, the BoG and MUO.