ISLAMABAD, April 7: Higher Education Commission Chairman Prof Attaur Rahman on Monday took serious note of the incident in which a Karachi University professor was beaten up by the rangers.

Prof Rahman has requested the vice-chancellor Karachi University to hold a free and independent enquiry so that the truth could be established.

Newspapers have published two different versions of the incident. Prof Riaz Ahmed states that he was badly beaten up when he tried to enter the university premises.

However, rangers say Prof Riaz Ahmed attacked their member and broke his finger.

Prof Attaur Rahman stated that teachers belonged to the noblest of professions and due respect must be given to them by all members of the society, including the police and rangers.

Meanwhile, the Student Action Committee (SAC) Rawalpin-di/Islamabad has strongly condemned the beating up of the Karachi University professor.

In a statement issued here, it said that the presence of rangers personnel on university campuses such as Karachi University makes the restoration of student unions impossible as the presence of armed forces spreads fear and inhibits the emergence of a democratic culture.

Nazish Zahoor of SAC said that the beating up of a respected academician such as Dr Riaz should have induced a serious reaction on the part of the new government but the Ministry of Education and the Higher Education Commission have been virtually silent on the whole affair.

She said that the Rangers beat up Dr Riaz for no apparent reason and had subsequently filed a completely baseless FIR against him even though Dr Riaz was clearly the aggrieved party.

She said that the authorities concerned need to take action immediately, expelling those officials responsible for this act of gangsterism and simultaneously ordering the removal of all paramilitary forces from university and college campuses across the country.

Nazish Zahoor said that in any case the government needs to develop a code of conduct for student politics.

—Agencies