LAHORE: The Punjab University administration on Saturday lodged a complaint to chief secretary about the police inaction against the students who vandalised its offices.

A letter, a copy available with Dawn, to the chief secretary by the PU stated that a group of 35 to 40 students, belonging to the IJT, attacked the administration block of the university. They ransacked the offices, including that of the registrar, while chanting slogans. During the incident, the university employees were working in their respective offices.

It added that the group, armed with bricks, wooden sticks and cricket bats, forced their entry into the registrar office and ransacked it. They vandalised other offices too and broke the windowpanes and other property indiscriminately. They also manhandled the university security staff.

The complaint stated that the PU had taken disciplinary action against the culprits; however, a number of miscreants were not the university students and they had come from outside. It added that a letter was also written to the Superintendent of Police Allama Iqbal Town to arrest the culprits, nominated in various FIR, but unfortunately no one was arrested.

It further states that keeping in view gravity and sensitivity of the matter, strict action by the law enforcement agencies was required against those involved in the recent incident as well as those nominated in the earlier FIRs. Otherwise, these dozens of students and their collaborators would keep on destroying the peaceful environment of the university.

Meanwhile, the Muslim Town police on Saturday registered a case against 40 Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT) activists for vandalising the offices of the vice chancellor, registrar and public relation officer of the PU.

Three activists were nominated in the case while 27 others were unidentified.

PU Registrar Dr Khalid Khan told Dawn the case was registered against the students involved in ransacking the university offices and creating law and order situation on the campus. He said the administration had also initiated disciplinary action against the students and had sent them notices. He said the administration would also approach the parents of the students who would be suspended from attending classes till the final decision of the disciplinary committee.

Model Town SP operation Raza Tanveer confirmed registration of the case but added that no one was arrested yet. He said the nominated students had secured their pre-arrest bail from court and they would be included in the investigation.

An insider, on condition of anonymity, told Dawn the university administration had written to the chief secretary because a senior police officer had held a meeting with the students nominated in various cases and advised them to get pre-arrest bail to avoid their arrest. He said the police officers were not cooperating with the PU administration for taking action against the suspects.

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2021