KARACHI, April 20: A student of the Government College for Commerce and Economics was shot dead inside the college premises on Thursday morning.

The incident took place just a few yards from the Rangers Headquarters on Dr Ziauddin Ahmed Road in the so-called ‘high security zone’.

Three policemen posted at the college failed to act during the entire episode.

“The three policemen have been arrested and a case under Police Order-2002 has been registered against them for showing negligence and dereliction in duty,” said the TPO Saddar, who visited the college following the incident.

According to witnesses, some 10/11 youth came to the college in a yellow cab and two motorcycles. They first hammered at the gate of the college and then climbed over it.

A group of students sitting inside rushed to safety and took shelter in a classroom after sensing danger. The intruders barged into the classroom and shot one of the students, later identified as Syed Akmal, 20. Another student, Javed Baig, sustained a bullet wound in his arm.

The assailants had closed the door of the classroom before opening fire at the students.

The attackers left the college without facing any resistance from the armed policemen posted at the college.

Police said that Akmal suffered a bullet wound in his chest and died before being taken to a hospital.

A senior police official said that registration number of the yellow cab involved was noted and initial investigation showed that the vehicle was on default and registered in the name of a woman with the address of Jehangir Road. However, when police reached at the address, they found no woman by this name lived there.

Later, the police tried to verify the particulars of the vehicle’s owner with Nadra’s data, but it turned out that it had no record to match the particulars.

The deceased, Syed Akmal Shirazi, was a student of BCom Part-I and residing in Metroville, Site. His family hailed from Mansehra. His Namaz-i-Janaza was offered at Masjid-i-Omar Bin Khattab.

With the beginning of this week, tension ran high between the All Pakistan Mohajir Students Organization (APMSO) and the Islami Jamiat-i-Talaba (IJT) which clashed at different colleges, mainly the Islamia Arts and Commerce College.

On April 18, police registered an FIR against unknown persons after a student, belonging to the IJT, sustained a bullet wound during a clash with APMSO activists behind the Islamia College.

The policemen, posted at the front gate of the college, heard the sound of gunshots and rushed to the scene. They found Khurram Shahzad with a bullet wound. However, the attackers had managed to flee.

A day earlier, five motorcycles were set on fire and the furniture and fixtures were ransacked when the two student groups clashed at the Islamia College. An FIR to this effect was lodged by the Principal of the college, Abdul Sattar Baloch, at the Jamshad Quarters police station against unknown persons.

On April 8 also, at least 15 students were injured when the two student groups clashed at the University of Karachi.

There were also reports of clashes, involving the same groups, at the Federal Urdu University and the NED university.