LAHORE: With the Punjab University suspending 29 students from various departments for their alleged involvement in violence on its campus last month, the intelligence agencies have taken into custody a student for his “links with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)”.

Attique Afridi, a student of the university’s Hailey College of Commerce, allegedly tortured a fellow student over a minor issue on Friday.

But when he was presented before senior officials of the university, Afridi declared TTP’s Nek Mohammad and Baitullah Mehsud as his leaders and vowed to avenge their killings, said retired Maj Saleem, the university’s chief security officer.

He said that Afridi, who was associated with the Pakhtun Educational Development Movement, recently dropped out of college because of his poor academic record. “The intelligence agencies have picked him up and are interrogating him,” he said.

The 29 suspended students, meanwhile, will be appearing before the university’s disciplinary committee to explain their position on the violent incidents. If they fail to do so they may be expelled from the university.

They have links with the Islami Jamiat-i-Tulaba (IJT), Baloch Council and Pakhtun Educational Development Movement.

A fight broke out last month over playing of music loudly at the university’s Hostel No 4, which left at least 15 students injured, some of them seriously.

The Baloch Council, said to be close to the Pakhtun Educational Development Movement, alleged that IJT activists attacked its members. But the IJT insisted that Baloch and Pakhtun students fought each other over the minor matter and that its members were unnecessarily dragged into the issue.

The university identified the students involved in the clash through CCTV footage and determined their punishment accordingly.

University spokesman Khurram Shahzad confirmed that the 29 students might be expelled if they couldn’t satisfy the disciplinary committee.

The rising tensions between the groups forced the university administration to get them to sign a ‘peace agreement’. However, they have not been honouring the agreement.

“The three groups agreed in December not to indulge in scuffles. However, they failed to keep their word and the February incident took place,” Maj Saleem said.

He said that in various incidents during the last four months the Baloch and Pakhtun students tortured employees of a canteen and the students associated with IJT.

In retaliation, the IJT beat up some students belonging to the Baloch Council and Pakhtun Educational Development Movement, he added.

“The administration has got a case registered against the students involved in the violence and three of them are on judicial remand. This is a clear message to them that they will not be spared if they get involved in violent activities on campus in future,” he said.

Some teachers and students Dawn spoke to said the groups involved in violence wanted to dominate all activities on the campus.

“The IJT does not want new organisations to take hold in the university where it has been enjoying ‘power’ for decades. But the administration somehow supports the new groups to weaken the IJT hold,” said a teacher.

Published in Dawn, March 14th, 2016