May 27, 2006	Saturday	Rabi-us-Sani 28, 1427

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FAISALABAD, May 26: A number of students of the Government College University Faisalabad boycotted classes on Friday in protest against alleged misbehaviour of the vice-chancellor with a girl student, and demanded his immediate termination.

The students, a majority of them girls, were seen sitting outside their classrooms or in the lawns instead of attending their classes. Some of the faculty members also joined the boycott, but did not become part of the demonstration.

The students staged a demonstration in front of the main gate of the university by carrying banners and placards emblazoned with slogans against the vice-chancellor. They chanted slogans against the university management and demanded immediate impeachment of the vice-chancellor.

The protesters said it would be a stigma on the face of such a prestigious seat of learning if Dr Asif Iqbal continued his service.

Later, they threw traffic out of gear by erecting barricades and threatened to protest on the route to Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi’s visit to the city. However, the DCO and the DPO rushed to the spot and held negotiations with the students, assuring them that the matter would be brought into the chief minister’s notice.

Similarly, some ruling party MPAs belonging to the district took the matter seriously and reportedly discussed the issue with the chief minister at the local circuit house. The chief minister assured them of an appropriate action against the GCU head if found guilty.

He also assured of conducting an inquiry for finding the facts through some senior official, the MPAs added.

Meanwhile, the parents of the students also displayed large-sized banners in various intersections of the city like Chenab Club, district council, Katchery Bazaar, Abdullahpur, condemning the maltreatment of the vice-chancellor.

When contacted, DPO Muhammad Amin Wains confirmed receiving the hand-written application of the girl and said the contents were being verified. “I have tried to talk to the GCU vice-chancellor, but he was in Lahore.”

He made it clear that the application would be treated in the light of law and special importance had been accorded to the case owing to its “sensitivity”. He said the suspect’s version would be recorded and then formal action would be taken by the police.

Dr Asif told Dawn on telephone that he was busy in Lahore in connection with some important task. He confirmed his clash with MNA Dr Nisar Ahmad, but denied using objectionable language.

He said: “The MNA did use abusive language because a minor task he had asked for was delayed owing to some official matters.”

He said the Islami Jamiat Tulaba, together with some outsiders, had launched a vilification campaign against him with the help of the MNA.

Denying the charges, he explained that four LLB students were residing in a hostel situated in the former TB Hospital Building had quarrelled over some issue and the matter was reported to the warden as a result of which one of the girls was transferred from the room. However, the girl exchanged harsh words with the new boarder and the management again intervened and allotted a separate room to this girl, which frustrated her.

“The IJT members, who are against me because of my respect and popularity especially after introducing various new classes, used the girl and also dragged in the MNA to slander my repute through a concocted story.”

He said the matter had been brought into the notice of Governor Khalid Maqbool.

MNA Dr Nisar Ahmad, on the other hand, insisted that Dr Asif had brought infamy to the teaching profession by attacking the girl student in his retiring room. The act is unworthy of a person of such a calibre.”

He said the issue would be raised in the National Assembly for which a chargesheet was being prepared against the vice-chancellor.

GCU vice-chancellor Dr Asif Iqbal and PPP (Patriots) MNA Dr Nisar Ahmad had exchanged hot words and threatened each other with dire consequences during the course of the latter’s visit to the institution over the girl’s complaints of sexual harassment.