LAHORE: A group of Islami Jamiat Tulaba (IJT) on Wednesday thrashed many students including girls on Punjab University’s new campus for taking out a rally against the administration for not providing adequate transport facilities.

A number of students belonging to the Progressive Youth Alliance (PYA) were staging a rally against the university administration for not providing transport facilities and a group of IJT activists thwarted their protest and beat the participants including girls.

The video footage that went viral on the social media showed the IJT activists slapping boys.

Varsity admin, police claim credit for averting untoward situation

A student of the Institute of Social and Cultural Studies (ISCS) said they were staging a rally to impress upon the university administration the need to improve the transport facilities. He said the administration officials asked them to postpone the rally, assuring them that they would fix the transport issues.

He said the students in turn asked the officials to allow them to conduct the rally from the ISCS to the vice chancellor office and that they would disperse peacefully after registering their protest. He said they were on their way to the VC office when the IJT activists attacked them outside the agriculture department and manhandled them.

He said the girl students in the rally tried to pacify the IJT activists who did not relent and even slapped two of them. He said police and the university administration played the role of a silent spectator. Police, he said, did not arrest any of the IJT activists most of who were ‘outsiders’.

The students demanded the government take action against the administration officials who, he alleged, were patronising the group.

PU Registrar Prof Khalid Khan said they would certainly take action against the IJT activists who thrashed the rally participants.

“The university administration averted a major incident with the help of police by ensuring that the students disperse,” he said.

“We will not allow anyone to create a law and order situation on the campus and will take strict action against the wrongdoers,” he said.

As for the transport issue, he said they had requested the government to provide them buses to improve the transport facility and they would soon have a fleet of 10 buses.

Muslim Town SHO Sharjeel Khan said it was a minor scuffle and a police team on the campus did not allow anyone to resort to thrashing. He said the varsity administration also played a positive role and averted an untoward situation. — Staff Reporter

Published in Dawn, March 21st, 2019