KARACHI, April 2: Nineteen students of the Sindh Medical College (SMC) were arrested following a clash between rival student groups on Friday.

The two groups, the All Pakistan Mohajir Students Federation (APMSO) and Punjabi Students Association (PSA), had indulged in a similar clash on Thursday. The ASP Saddar, Kashif Kanju, said that the trouble had started over some 'April-fool' issue.

However, sources at the SMC indicated that tension between the two sides was simmering for the past one week over the issue of the membership issue of a student. One group claimed that the other group had made him its member without his consent.

The clash on Friday took place despite presence of a strong contingent of police in and around the college. The rival groups continued their battle pushing aside the policemen on guard. Police applied baton-charge to disperse them.

Several students sustained injuries during the brawl and were taken to the JPMC. Later, a PSA activist, Farhan, also emerged from the college building with a bullet wound and was rushed to the JPMC where his condition was now stated to be stable, according to the ASP.

It was not clear that how he sustained the bullet wound as no gunfire was heard during the clash, the ASP said, adding that shooting might have occurred a little earlier.

As the trouble was over, leaders of the rival groups were invited by the college principal for reconciliation talks but none of them turned up, said the ASP.

Among the 19 students arrested, 11 belonged to the APMSO and the rest to the PSA, he said.

An FIR against both the groups was registered and the arrested students were kept in separate lockups at Saddar and Frere police stations.

A faculty member at the SMC said that Friday's clash started in the morning and two rivals used firearms, bottles, stones and rods against each other, adds PPI.

He said that students and faculty members had to run to safety amid shooting. Outsiders were brought to the campus and they were using automatic weapons, he added.

He criticised police for intervened only after the clash was over. He quoted police as saying that they (police) provided an equal opportunity to both the groups to do whatever they could.