LARKANA, Oct 25: The principal of the Government Degree College Ratodero Prof Mumtaz Ali Solangi narrowly escaped attempt on his life allegedly by the activists of Sindh People’s Students Federation on Saturday.
According to eyewitness account, a group of SPSF activists, including Zahid Jalbani and Saeed Weesar snatched away at gunpoint official stamps, certificates of different courses and office record at gunpoint before the arrival of the principal.
They came back a while later and forced into the common room where the principal was sitting with professors. They beat him up and warned others to stay away. They also tried to drag him away out the common room but the lectures intervened and put up resistance.
“The students fired straight at me but fortunately I remained safe,” said the principal. They tore up his clothes, left the room and smashed windowpanes and windscreen of his car parked outside in the college premises as they made their escape, he said.
The same attackers belonging to SPSF had come to the principal on Friday and demanded that he fill in exam forms without taking fee and give them Rs20,000 but he refused and they threatened him with dire consequences, the principal said.
Leaders of the Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association (SPLA) Prof Manzoor Chajro, Prof Syed Asghar Ali Shah and others rushed to the college after the incident and held a meeting in the college, which called for severe action against the attackers.
They issued two days ultimatum to the administration to solve the issue and take stern action against the attackers and announced that no professor would work as principal of the college from that day onwards.
The district office-bearers of SPSF Ghani Jatoi and Kamran Odhano later met with the principal, returned him official stamps, office record and certificates and requested him to give them three days to solve the issue.
The principal refused and went ahead to lodge an FIR against eight activists of SPSF including Zahid Jalbani and Saeed Weesar at Ratodero police station.
The principal alleged that despite being informed about tense situation at the college police did not arrive. Police have so far not made any arrest.
PROCESSION: Activists of Sindh National Front held a procession in protest against precarious state of law and order in Ratodero and in its surroundings on Saturday.
Fayyaz Bhutto, nazim of union council Pir Bkhsh Bhutto and Raza Ali Shah who led the protest accused police of inaction and said the supervising police officer of Ratodero had proved ineffective in maintaining law and order.
They said that ten incidents of robbery had taken place within a week in union councils Pir Bakhsh Bhutto and Ratodero alone and gave police 15 days to bring the situation under control or they would be compelled to block the roads.