November 22, 2007	Thursday	Ziqa’ad 11, 1428

LAHORE, Nov 21: Governor Khalid Maqbool on Wednesday visited the Punjab University (PU) amid tight security with a large contingent of police training their guns, while the Punjab University Academic Staff Association (PUASA) general body staged a peaceful protest walk up to the barricades installed to restrict protesters’ access to the governor.

The PUASA general body, which attended the meeting in a greater number than usual, adopted resolutions for immediate lifting of emergency, abolition of Pemra Ordinance to revive press freedom, restoring Supreme and High courts’ judges, and withdrawal of a first information report (FIR) against university teachers.

The governor did not utter a single word about PU teachers’ demand regarding withdrawal of the FIR despite repeated attempts by reporters. He, however, told Dawn he had curtailed his engagements but could not cancel his visit to the university because “it is where my heart is”.

It is learnt that a heavy deployment of police was made in and around the Shaikh Zayed Islamic Centre as early as 6am, as the governor had shown his consent to chair the concluding session of an international conference despite PU faculty members’ resentment and demands that he (Governor) should not set his foot on the campus before withdrawing the FIR against teachers. The PU faculty believes that the FIR could never be registered against university teachers under sedition charges without a nod from the governor’s office.

After the general body meeting, PU faculty members led by president Dr Mumtaz Salik marched from the Institute of Chemical Engineering and Technology to Institute of Business Administration, where police had barricaded the road.

As a heavy contingent of police was deployed behind the barricades led by senior police officials, teachers approached them and registered their protest against the imposition of emergency and promulgation of the PCO, restrictions on the media, and the FIR against 14 university teachers. During the protest, classes remained suspended.

Dr Salik told senior police officials that teachers were not only government servants but also the brain of the nation. Saying that the FIR should be registered against the government servant who had suspended the constitution and rule of law, he said the teachers had come out for the restoration of the constitution, upholding of law and free media.

Dr Salik also asked police officials to convey his message to the governor that neither any department would invite him for any function nor any teacher would go and attend functions chaired by the governor till the withdrawal of the FIR.

The university teachers were holding banners and placards bearing inscriptions: “Withdraw FIR against teachers”, “Withdraw Pemra Ordinance”, “No emergency, no martial law”, “Independent nation, independent judiciary”, “Restore basic rights”, “We are with conscientious judges, lawyers and journalists” etc. Later, the university teachers dispersed peacefully.

Earlier, the PUASA general body discussed a two-point agenda — national issues arising after the imposition of emergency and promulgation of the PCO, and registration of the FIR against teachers for holding a peaceful walk.

The general body unanimously decided that the university teachers would continue their protest till their demands were met. They agreed that teachers would continue wearing black armbands and badges every day, and hold token academic strike and protest walk from 10am to 12noon on every Wednesday.

The body decided that it would also urge university employees and students to wear black armbands and pay tributes to the judges, who did not take oath under the PCO.

The teachers also resolved that they would continue their protest to express solidarity with masses for the cause, even if the government instituted cases against all university teachers.

The PUASA general body also passed resolutions condemning violence against Imran Khan and ICS director Prof Dr Mugheesuddin Sheikh.