LAHORE: The students and faculty members of Government College University (GCU) on Thursday held a ‘solidarity walk’ to condemn the Bacha Khan University attack.

Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Hassan Amir Shah led the on-campus walk.

Mr Shah said terrorists were scared of education and that’s why they were targeting educational institutions of the country but we were not scared of them and would continue our mission of progress, prosperity and enlightenment.

“Terrorism cannot be eliminated without fighting extremism. Pakistan needs an education system which has a reach to the last children of the country and there is a need to promote tolerance and harmony,” he said.

Physics Department chairman Prof Dr Riaz Ahmed said teachers were unanimous in their call for uniting against terrorists and extremists.

“Islamic injunctions stipulate the sanctity of life and protection of all human beings and those distorting religion to target innocent people are barbaric and inhuman,” he said and called upon the government and armed forces to utilize all resources to eliminate terrorism.

GCU Debating Society adviser Siddique Awan said the attack on a varsity had reminded us of our decades old negligence of our national responsibilities.

“We must provide quality education and employment opportunities to the entire population on the principle of parity. We must put an end to corruption and violation of law,” he added.

PU: The Punjab University students on Thursday offered funeral prayers in absentia for the martyrs of the Bacha Khan University.

Jamaat-i-Islami secretary-general Liaquat Baloch led the prayers.

The students under the banner of Islami Jamiat Talaba expressed solidarity with the victims’ families and chanted slogans against militants and demanded of the government to take steps to eliminate terrorism.

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2016