LAHORE: A premier intelligence agency along with Punjab police’s Counter-Terrorism Department has arrested two more faculty members and a law student of the Punjab University for their ‘close association’ with the banned Hizbut Tahrir (HuT).

Last week Assistant Prof Dr Ghalib Ata of Institute of Administrative Sciences Punjab University was arrested for ‘actively taking part in the HuT activities’.

The fresh arrests reportedly have come in the wake of information gleaned from Prof Atta.

A joint team comprising officials of the premier intelligence agency and CTD raided two hostels — BMT and No-1 — of the Punjab University in wee hours of Monday and took Assistant Professor Aamir Saeed of the Institute of Administration Sciences, PU College of Information Technology (PUCIT) lecturer Omer Nawaz and LLB-Hon student Waqas Zulfiqar into custody.

“The two faculty members and the law student have been detained for their links with the HuT. Prof Aamir Saeed and Waqas Zulfiqar are close associates of Prof Ata. They have been arrested after Prof Ata divulged the names of those associated with this banned organisation,” a source in the intelligence agency told Dawn.

“Both teachers and the students used to have meetings at a mosque in Ghari Shahu and preached the philosophy of the HuT,” he said, adding all three of them were in the custody of the agency and they would be handed over the CTD once the interrogation was complete.

The HuT is against democracy and in favour of establishment of caliphat. The reason behind the action against the HuT ‘suspected members’ is said to be its propaganda campaign against the armed forces.

Lecturer Omer Nawaz, who is also the superintendent of the hostel No-1, is believed to be arrested for his role in IT related matters (blogs/websites) of the outfit. “The HuT through different blogs/websites often upload anti-army material which is not acceptable at all,” the source said.

To the utter surprise of the PUIAS and PUCIT faculty, students and even the administration how could three competent teachers and a brilliant law student who topped in his all semesters could join hands with the banned outfit.

Prof Aamir Saeed had done his PhD in Governance and Management of Utrecht from Netherlands and joined the PU in 2001. Lecturer Omer Nawaz, a post-graduation degree holder in computer sciences from International Islamic University, had joined the PUCIT in 2007. Nawaz had returned sometimes ago from Sweden where he spent over two years for his PhD. “We do not know as why Mr Aamir and Mr Omer have been picked up by the agencies as they never openly preached for the philosophy of the organisation their names are being associated with,” a colleague of Mr Omer told Dawn. He said Mr Omer throughout his career only focused on his studies and teaching. “Everyone is surprised over his arrest,” he said.

The PU administration says although it has ‘zero tolerance’ for extremism on the campus but law-enforcement agencies should take it into confidence before such raids.

Meanwhile, the PU Academic Staff Association has expressed its serious concern over the arrest of three teachers without any prior intimation to the administration.

It said the security agency officials entered Mr Nawaz’s house at hostel No-1 after breaking the gate. Such a humiliating action against varsity teachers on the basis of doubt was “inhumane and immoral”.

PUASA President Prof Dr Hasan Mobeen Alam said: “Since this incident has taken place without informing the administration ‘terrorists’ may use the same way adopted by the personnel of intelligence agency and it will be difficult for the varsity security staff to distinguish between the intelligence agency officials and terrorists”.

He said teachers were government employees and unarmed and if any intelligence agency suspected the activities of any teacher, it could simply summon him to its office or any place. “Teachers will have no issue joining any investigation,” he said, adding that it was not the way to behave with teachers.

The ASA has also summoned emergency meeting of general body on Tuesday (today) to discuss the matter.

Meanwhile, a PU spokesman claimed that the intelligence agency had freed Omer Nawaz.

“Vice-Chancellor Dr Mujahid Kamran had told Punjab’s former police chief Rana Maqbool that Mr Nawaz has no link with any banned outfit. On this the minister secured his release,” he said.

Published in Dawn, December 15th, 2015