June 11, 2008	Wednesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 06, 1429

FAISALABAD, June 10: The Punjab Medical College administration has withdrawn its decision of rusticating 23 Ahmedi students on charges of preaching their faith on the campus and converted their `sentence’ into a two-week suspension.

Official sources said the expulsion order, issued on June 5, had been withdrawn following a meeting reportedly chaired by provincial health secretary Anwar Ahmed and attended by PMC principal Dr Asghar Ali Randhawa, city police chief DIG Mohammad Aslam Tareen and others.

Sources said members of the academic council were also called by the secretary, who told him that the expulsion decision was taken on a large number of students’ plaints. Quoting students, they said four Ahmadi students had removed posters announcing a religious gathering from the campus walls on the June 4 night.

Following the incident, hundreds of students boycotted classes on June 5 and staged a demonstration.

Regarding the withdrawal of the earlier decision, the PMC principal issued a statement to the media in which he said that "students have been suspended on the basis of Rule 3 (iv) of the college prospectus.”

The rule reads: "A student may be suspended form the university/college rolls for a period not exceeding two weeks ……. by the vice chancellor/principal of the university/college, pending enquiry into the misconduct of the student."

The order issued earlier by the administration on June 5 said: "Due to the religious dispute, hate material distribution and on the recommendation of the college disciplinary committee, following students are rusticated from the college as well as hostel rolls under Rule-III clause-V of the college prospectus with immediate effect to maintain the law and order situation in the college and hostel premises. “

Sources said a high-level committee had been constituted to conduct a fresh probe into the matter.