LAHORE: The Punjab University administration announced further steps on Friday to improve security to avoid the repeat of Tuesday’s clash between two student groups.

An official told Dawn that biometric machines would be installed in all 27 hostels to stop entry of “non-PU students” or general visitors. “Even the boarders will be denied entry after 10pm,” he said.

He said the students’ parents, relatives and friends would only be allowed to meet them in hostels during academic hours and if there was any emergency, such meetings would be allowed after academic hours with the permission of the authority concerned. He said biometric machines had already been installed in two hostels.

The official said the administration had imposed a ban on holding of all sorts of co-curricular and extracurricular activities by student unions/organisations within the campus.

“From now on the university administration will be the sole authority to conduct such activities. There will be no co-curricular or extracurricular activity by any individual, group or student organisation in future. Only the admin will arrange/organise such activities in future,” explained the PU official.

He said any organisation or group seeking to hold such an activity would have to send a proposal to the administration. “If the admin feels that the event is important and good for healthy academic environment, it will own and organise it after an approval by a committee to be formed for this purpose,” the official said, adding those proposing it would have no role in its organisation.

He said chief guests invited by any group/organization in any illegally-held function wouldn’t be allowed entry into the campus as a special vigilance cell would be constituted to keep a close eye on such activities. Similarly, media would not be allowed to cover illegal functions.

“This decision has been taken in view of participation of Jamaat-i-Islami leader Ms Samia Raheel Qazi in an event about which the varsity had not accorded any permission,” he added.

The official said a proposal was under study to close all varsity entrances except gate No 1. He said the admin would use full force to stop any illegal function. The varsity had also cancelled the three-day book fair that was scheduled to be held from April 6 to 8.

Answering a question, he said sufficient evidence was available that IJT students were the first to attack the Pushtun cultural festival.

Published in Dawn, March 25th, 2017