LAHORE, Feb 1: Three Punjab University (PU) students claim they were assaulted by Islami Jamiat Tulaba (IJT) members after Friday prayers at Jamia Masjid on the PU campus on Friday.

Rafiullah Awan, a fourth year physics student, told Dawn that after the prayers, he and two other students had been distributing flyers, which invited students to attend today’s protest at Nasser Bagh, outside the mosque when they were approached by a group of 20 or so IJT members.

Awan alleges that IJT members took their flyers and ripped them up, then warned the Rafiullah and his friends to leave the area. They left but returned a short while later and were then assaulted by six of IJT members, while 20 others looked on.

Rafiullah claims they wore IJT badges, and said he knew several of them by face as he had shared classes and lived with some of them over the course of his education at the PU.

Rafiullah said he would be approaching the university protest to lodge an official complaint and question why the IJT are allowed freedom to pursue political activities, but no other group is given the same privileges.

Nasirullah Goraya, IJT president, said he had no knowledge of the incident and was out of town. He said that stories maligning the IJT are often cooked up, and that the IJT would have no reason to engage in violent activities.