LAHORE: The Garden Town police on Wednesday lodged an anti-terrorism case against 150 students of the Punjab University for holding a ‘violent’ protest.

The police also nominated 18 student leaders, including Islamic Jamiat Tulaba Nazim Usman Gujjar, and formed teams for conducting raids for the arrest of the students.

Lodged on the complaint of police inspector Mohammad Nadeem, it was alleged in the FIR that over 150 students of the university gathered at Barkat Market and blocked both sides of the road for traffic the other day. They allegedly turned violent and attacked the police which was discharging security duties at the spot.

The inspector alleged that the students snatched weapons, tortured the police personnel and dragged them on the roads.

They also thrashed some personnel of anti-riot force when they came to rescue their colleagues.As a result, five policemen suffered multiple injuries and were rushed to nearby hospitals, according to the FIR.

The police alleged the students took law into their hand as they tore uniform of the policemen, injured them seriously and snatched from them official weapons and the act is liable to be treated as terrorism. The police also invoked other sections of the PPC.

There were some reports that the police teams entered the Punjab University, raided the hostels of the students and made some arrests.

Similarly, police teams raided the private premises suspecting that the students were in hiding.

Published in Dawn, November 9th, 2023