KARACHI, Feb 16: The two student groups entangled in violence since Feb 14 traded allegations against each other for instigating violence in educational institutions in their separate press conferences held at Karachi Press Club on Wednesday.

Speaking at the press briefing, AMPSO secretary-general Tariq Yousaf demanded implantation of the code of conduct signed in 2003 between the student organizations and administration. He urged the government to take stalk of the situation prevailing in the educational institutions and arrest the culprits responsible for the trouble.

He said that the trouble started on Monday when some activists of Islami Jamiat Talba manhandled a senior professor of Urdu at the S.M. Arts and Commerce College and locked him in the staff room.

Holding the IJT responsible for the law and order situation in the educational institutions, Tariq Yousaf said that the group attacked APMSO members at the City College, Moosa Lane on Wednesday morning wounding Saqib, Waqar, Mubashir and Rizwan. They were taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for treatment, he said.

He said that IJT activists injured another APMSO member Umar at the Government Commerce College. Later, IJT activists reached Government Degree College Gulshan-i-Iqbal and attacked Faraz, Minhal and Adeel, he said and added that while leaving they set ablaze several motorcycles of APMSO members at the main University Road.

Nonetheless, he said that the IJT activists went to Jauhar Degree College and opened fire wounding several members of APMSO. Earlier, speaking at a press briefing, Tahir Akbar of the IJT said that following the formation of the provincial government a conspiracy had been hatched to turn the educational institutions of the city into "No Go areas".

He alleged that the provincial government and police department had been held hostage by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, which was also patronizing the APMSO. He said that APMSO activists had attacked IJT members with iron rods at Gulshan College on Wednesday. As a result, six members of the IJT were seriously wounded. They were shifted to the JPMC for treatment, he claimed.

Later, they kidnapped Asad, a student of second year, from Islamia College and took him to Jauhar Degree College where he was subjected to severe torture. APMSO activists shot Asad in the chest and fled, the IJT chief claimed. He said that the seriously wounded student was admitted to the JPMC's Intensive Care Unit.

Referring to Feb 14th incidents, Tahir Akbar said that over 20 activists of the APMSO had attacked the IJT members at the City College as a result of which Rashid, Fawad and Kamran were injured. He claimed that they were being victimized by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement for opposing the Aga Khan Educational Board.