KARACHI: 15 injured in student clashes at KU
There were also reports of clashes between activists of both the groups at the Federal Urdu University, Gulshan campus, and the NED University.
Doctors at the Jinnah Hospital said five injured students, mostly with head injuries, had been brought to there for treatment, and they were undergoing surgeries.
Clashes at the KU started at around 11.30am when one of the group, along with some outsiders attacked the activists of the other with iron rods, wooden sticks and stones, injuring several of them. Shots were also fired by some armed students but luckily no one was injured. Both the groups hurled stones at each other causing injuries to activists of both sides.
The Rangers deployed at the varsity intervened after a delay of at least 30 minutes and baton charged activists of both groups to disperse them and restore order.
General students and BDS candidates, who had reached the varsity to take their exams, faced difficulties as they were not allowed to enter or leave the varsity campus.
The University of Karachi claimed that the situation after the clash between the IJT and APMSO at the campus was brought under control due to efforts of the KU Students’ Adviser and other varsity teachers.
According to a KU spokesman, representatives of both the groups signed a peace agreement and assured that they would resolve their disputes through talks in future.
The KU spokesman later said that Dr Qadri took a round of the varsity along with representatives of both groups.
He said earlier, a meeting chaired by the Pro-Vice Chancellor and attended by senior KU teachers and representatives of both the said students groups called for ensuring peace and law and order on the campus.—PPI
Meanwhile, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal have accused each other’s student wing of disturbing peace at educational institutions, and urged the government to take action against those responsible for the violence, adds our staff reporter.
In its press statement, the MQM Coordination Committee condemned the attack on the students affiliated with the APMSO by “armed terrorists of the IJT,” backed by Jamaat-i-Islami.
It claimed that the innocent students were made target and the peaceful educational atmosphere was destroyed at the educational institution. It alleged that the armed students of the Jamiat had also attacked APMSO students at various educational institutions, including the Federal Urdu varsity, DJ Science College, two days back and injured many students.
It said that three students of the APMSO were injured in an attack on Saturday at the University of Karachi.
The committee demanded of the Sindh governor and the chief minister to take stern action against those responsible for violence.
In their statement, the MNAs Mohammad Hussain Mehanti, Abdus Sattar Afghani and Mohammad Laiq Khan of MMA condemned the “armed attack on unarmed IJT students by a state-backed student organization,” and claimed that the government had allowed the organization to spread terror at educational institutions of the city.
They alleged that state-backed student organization with the help of police and administration wanted to convert educational institutions into ‘no go areas’ for its opponents. It wanted to destroy peace in city, putting the future of students at stake.