SWABI, Nov 23: The students of the Government Degree College, Chota Lahore, blocked Swabi-Jehangira road for all kinds of traffic for more than two hours as a protest against the “meddling of the Islami Jamiat Tulba and Jamat-i-Islami leaders” in the affairs of the institution and holding of a ceremony on the college premises.

This was the second time that the college staff and the JI and IJT leaders clashed with the college administration as the latter wanted to hold the talent award ceremony on the premises of the college for outstanding students on Friday but the former vowed that political gathering would not be allowed inside the college.

The district Nazim of the IJT, Ziaullah, told Dawn that they faced resistance from the college principal when they wanted to hold the ceremony on Nov 15 and once again they confronted difficulties.

When approached, an insider of the college told Dawn that the principal had told the IJT and JI leaders that they should either hold the ceremony outside the college premises or in the college mosque but the JI leaders stuck to their guns and forcefully entered the college. This infuriated the students and they gathered in the college and then blocked the Swabi-Jehangira road for more than two hours as a mark of protest.

He said the tehsil Chota Lahore Nazim, Haji Mohammad Amin, had also supported the JI and IJT leaders and he even told police to stay away from the event.

He castigated the local administration and the tehsil Nazim failed to take action against the JI and IJT leaders.