LAHORE Two students of the Punjab University Law College were shot at and injured and nine others thrashed and beaten as a large number of activists of a student organisation raided university`s hostel No 16 in the early hours of Wednesday.

The Muslim Town police registered a case against 17 suspects, including seven nominated, all from the Islami Jamiat Tulaba (IJT), on the complaint of University Students Federation (USF) President Atif Naeem.

The FIR says Riaz Ashraf and Ansar Shoaib shot at and injured law students Asad Gujjar and Hafiz Mazhar Qayyum when they were present in their room No 215 of the hostel. Another nominated accused Hafiz Farhan fired in the air.

IJT leaders, however, denied their responsibility while speaking at a news conference at the Government Islamia College, Civil Lines.

Eyewitnesses told Dawn that some 50 assailants, led by IJT activists, trespassed into the hostel (Hazrat Ali Hall) at around 3am and launched their operation. They shot at and injured Gujjar and Qayyum, thrashed a number of other students with clubs and iron rods. They broke windowpanes of several rooms as well as of notice boards.

Chaudhry Ahsan, who himself got injured in the incident, alleged that the invaders dragged Gujjar from the first floor to downstairs and then to the main gate and asked him to raise slogans Zinda Hai Jamiat Zinda Hai. He said the assailants fled when USF activists as well as hostel warden Dr Asmatullah arrived at the spot.

Dr Asmatullah told Dawn that he immediately shifted the two injured students to Jinnah Hospital, where they were operated upon for almost four hours and finally declared stable. Nine USF members - Atif Ranjha, Naeemullah, Shajar Abbas, Khurram Shahzad Butt, Azhar Subhani, Chaudhry Ahsan, Almas, Ali Abbas and Ali Hassan - who sustained injuries, were discharged from the hospital after initial medical treatment.

USF Central Committee member Amir Jalal said the federation was currently campaigning to organise its party in university hostels. He alleged IJT activists had attacked the hostel to preservetheir monopoly on the university campuses.

PU Chancellor Salman Taseer along with Vice-Chancellor Prof Mujahid Kamran visited Jinnah Hospital and inquired after the health of the students. The governor assured that the assailants would be booked and brought to the book.

The IJT will be ousted not only from the PU, but also from the country, Mr Taseer said.

The IJT activists, including expelled students, left the hostels as police raided hostels for their arrest after instructions from top government functionaries. Jamiat leaders announced a news conference at the Lahore Press Club, but later they preferred to stay on the campus of the Islamia College, Civil Lines, IJT`s stronghold.

After the incident, USF activists held a mass protest rally at the New Campus and blocked Canal Road for over three hours, which choked all traffic on the canal as well as adjacent roads for hours.