HYDERABAD: The Jamshoro police have booked 21 students of the Sindh University (SU) along with 13-14 other suspects on the charges of sedition in the backdrop of the Nov 18 event held in connection with the Sindh Cultural Day. The university administration had on Nov 27 issued notices to them for violating discipline and the code of conduct agreed upon for permission to hold the event.

The Jamshoro police registered the FIR on Friday last under sections 123-A, 124-A, 153-A, 505, 19, 147, 145 and 203 of the Pakistan Penal Code vide crime No. 305/21 on the complaint of SI Ghulam Hussain Kalro.

Those nominated suspects are Wasim Chandio, Irfan Soomro, Waqar Panhwar, Abid Jamali, Akash Lakho, Arsalan Arisar, Danish Leghari, Darya Khan Panhwar, Fida Hussain Panhwar, Jamshed Unnar, Hafeez Umrani, Imtiaz Ali Pahore, Janib Wassan, Jaswand Meghwar, Mansoor Kalwar, Azeem Jatoi, Muzamil Abbasi, Rashid Ali Zardari, Sajjad Ali Panhwar, Sarmad Hussain Chandio and Waqar Ali Panhwar.

The complainant stated that the suspects raised anti-state slogans at the instigation of proscribed Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz (JSMM) leader Shafi Burfat. Students belonging to different political and nationalist parties celebrated the day at Zero Point, where they raised anti-Pakistan slogans, he further stated.

The Jamshoro SHO said that the FIR was registered after a delay of 16 days because the police were verifying the names of those who had participated in the celebration.

The police officers and personnel present there had drawn the attention of the SU administration to the unlawful activities. An inquiry into the matter was conducted and finally on Nov 27 SU vice chancellor Prof Dr Mohammad Siddique Kalhoro decided to issue notices to the errant students.

The notices asked the students to appear before the university’s disciplinary committee on Nov 30 in the office of the dean faculty of natural sciences

The notice read: “It has been observed that they [students] have not followed the guidelines given in the Registrar Office [vide] Circular No. S.U.G/623, dated: 12.11.2021 and created law and order situation which has severely affected the educational environment and peaceful study atmosphere”.

The students were supposed celebrate the day on November 18 within the vicinity of their respective department and avoid taking out rallies and resort to indulging in prohibited acts.

A spokesman for the university said that a group of students had violated the guidelines issued by the registrar’s office. They took out rallies and also created a law and order situation on the campus, he added.

The celebration, farewell parties to passing out students and welcome receptions to newcomers were allowed to restore normalcy on the campus after two years of Covid-19 pandemic-related closure and restrictions but some students resorted to challenging the administration’s writ, he said.

Published in Dawn, December 7th, 2021