KARACHI, Sept 12: At least three students were injured in a clash between two student organisations at Karachi University on Wednesday.

The leaderships of the All Pakistan Muttahida Students Organisation and the Islami Jamiat-i-Talaba, student wings of the MQM and the Jamaat-i-Islami, respectively, blamed each other for the incident.

“We have all the evidence to amply prove that the hooligans of the Jamiat attacked our members at a programme and resorted to fierce gunfire on the campus,” Waseem Aftab, head of the organising committee of the APMSO, told Dawn.

He said the APMSO had organised a ‘peace day’ programme in connection with the birthday celebrations of MQM chief Altaf Hussain on the campus.

“When our members completed a walk inside the campus and were going to cut a birthday cake, a group of Jamiat activists attacked us and severely beat up a girl student,” said Mr Aftab.

According to him, Mehwish, a student of the university, injured in the attack, was admitted to a local hospital for treatment.

“Whenever we try to promote healthy activities on the campus, Jamiat activists come to sabotage the plan. And they did so on Wednesday also,” he said.

An IJT spokesman said that at least two of their activists were injured in an attack during Jamiat’s Taleem-i-Balighan programme on the campus.

“Activists of the APMSO attacked us while the guards of some MQM leaders also opened fire on us,” said the spokesman.

He said at least two IJT members were hit and injured with stones hurled by the rival group.

Khalid Mehmood Iraqi, student adviser and campus’ security chief, said at least one student was injured when the two groups pelted each other with rocks.

“Activists of both groups hurled stones at each other, which injured a student,” he said.

Mr Iraqi said he had heard reports of gunfire on the campus and asked the Rangers for a report.

According to him, the Rangers were also asked to help control the situation.

“After both groups were pacified, we asked them to leave the campus through separate gates,” he added.

IJT activists claimed that at least two of their activists and a pedestrian were wounded in an attack on their headquarters near Baitul Mukarram mosque in Gulshan-i-Iqbal.

They blamed the APMSO for the attack and claimed that four of their members were also kidnapped.

However, APMSO officials denied the charge and said the two students who were injured in an incident were sitting well outside the IJT’s offices.