PESHAWAR, April 8: The Islami Jamiat Tulaba workers on Saturday held a protest demonstration against a ban placed by the Peshawar University (PU) on Dars-i-Quran sessions which were to be organised by the IJT in the varsity. The IJT activists gathered outside the Peshawar Press Club and chanted slogans against the decision.

The IJT leaders said the jamiat had arranged a session of Dars-i-Quran to be held in the pharmacy department on Saturday. However, they regretted, the varsity administration did not allow them from conducting the sessions creating a law and order situation on the campus.

They said the campus police were called in and students were baton-charged and 10 of them were taken into custody for creating disturbance in the varsity.

However, police officials said the students would be released soon as no FIR had been registered against them.

Varsity registrar Sherbahadur Khan said political activities were banned on the campus, adding that the IJT students were exploiting the teachings of the holy Quran to promote their political activities.

“These students were stopped from holding such sessions as they had their own agenda behind the activity,” Mr Sherbahadur said.

He said there was an Islamic and Culture Society in the university which the students could use for holding such lessons. There were also several mosques to hold such programmes, but the IJT activists had selected a department as venue for their session, he added.

The registrar pointed out that the university had decided to start interpretation and English translation sessions of the holy Quran for better understanding Islam.