MULTAN: An anti-terrorism court judge granted bail on Wednesday to 10 employees of the Bahauddin Zakariya University (BZU), including Employees’ Welfare Association president Malik Safdar Hussain, for allegedly attacking Social Sciences Director Dr Ishaq Fani on Monday.

Judge Javed Iqbal granted bail till Sept 10 in a case, lodged by Dr Fani, with the Alpa Police Station.

Vice-Chancellor (VC) Dr Khawaja Alqama made a four-member committee to probe the issue. The body consists of Dr Shabbar Attique, Dr Abdul Quddus Sohaib, Dr Muhammad Ashraf Khan and Dr Muhammad Farooq.

ATC grants bail to 10 BZU employees

The committee is to submit its findings with recommendations till Sept 4.

The VC also wrote to police officials, including the city police officer, stating that Dr Fani was serving as distinguished professor (BS-21) and a case against him could not be lodged without the prior approval of the authority.

He was referring to an application by university clerks Imran Akhtar and Suhail Akhtar to a magistrate for medico-legal certificate and for a case against Dr Fani for injuring them in his office on Monday. Both clerks are nominated in the case lodged by Dr Fani. He says that 34 people, at the behest of Registrar Muneer Husain, manhandled him in his office on Monday.

The VC wrote to the police that the application by Imran and Suhail, for a police case had not been routed through a proper channel.

He also sought explanation from the registrar for writing a letter to the Alpa station house office for legal action against Dr Fani and others on the complaint of both clerks.

The Academic Staff Association in its meeting on Wednesday demanded the constitution of a high level committee to probe the allegations of both the registrar and Dr Fani against each other.

Also, Area Magistrate Muhammad Muzamil Ahmed, on an application by Dr Fani, made a medical board and summoned the SHO and both parties on September 5.

In his application, Dr Fani alleged the two employees of university made self-inflected wounds and got a medico-legal certificate from the forensic department of Nishtar Hospital to get registered a case against him.

Also, workers continued protest on the third consecutive day against the alleged corruption and discriminatory attitude of Dr Fani towards the employees.

They also held a rally at the Administration Block and presented an open letter to the VC against Dr Fani.

They said that Dr Fani and his accomplices tortured two employees but a case was lodged against them instead of Dr Fani and his accomplices.

They also expressed their observations against the committee constituted by the VC, saying that the VC seemed helpless before Dr Fani.

They said that a delegation of employees would be sent to the governor and the chief minister to inform them about the corruption of Dr Fani.

They said that they would also move the National Accountability Bureau besides keeping the university close till justice was delivered to them.

On the other hand, the employees of the social sciences, distance learning and other departments held a demonstration to protest non-arrest of the attackers of Dr Fani.

They boycotted classes and kept the office closed.

Talking to Dawn, Dr Fani alleged the registrar was involved in corruption and had made hundreds of appointments in the university without the permission of any competent authority.

Dr Alqama said that he had received the material from both parties and would take any action after the inquiry committee’s report.

Published in Dawn, September 3rd, 2015

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