21 February 2004	Saturday	29 Zilhaj 1424

ISLAMABAD, Feb 20: Teachers bodies and students have criticized the capital police for not taking any action against two constables who manhandled an assistant professor of Quaid-i- Azam University last Tuesday.

In this regard, separate statements were issued by the QAU Academic Staff Association (ASA), Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FEPUSA) and students of Defence and Strategic Studies department of the varsity.

They gave a three-day deadline to the authorities concerned to take adequate action against the responsible persons, otherwise they would come out on the roads. Prof Nazir Hussain was allegedly thrashed by two constables, Ghulam Hussain and Mohammad Naeem, at Aabpara Market.

In a statement, the ASA asked the Islamabad police to take appropriate action against the two policemen and to make sure that such incidents were not repeated in future. Otherwise, the association will hold a demonstration outside the Parliament House, it added.

It is unfortunate that even after a lapse of three days, no action has been taken by the police high-ups, it said. Students of the Defence and Strategic Department said: "We condemn the brutal behaviour of Islamabad police with Prof Nazir Hussain. This shameful act speaks for the true arrogance of the law-enforcement agencies towards academicians."

The FAPUASA president, Dr Iftikhar Hussain Baloch, in a meeting of the federation held here on Friday, called upon the police authorities to take immediate action and suspend the two policemen.