LAHORE – A new tussle between Islami Jamiat Taliba (IJT) activists and the Punjab University (PU) administration has started, with both the parties openly accusing each other of corruption, theft and embezzlement. IJT activists condemn the PU vice chancellor for not taking action against Dr Iftikhar Baloch, who has been charged with sexual harassment of female students.
IJT activists accuse the PU administration of embezzlement and corruption and demand Dr Baloch’s termination. While on the other hand, PU teachers condemn IJT backing Institute of Communication Studies (ICS) Director Dr Ahsan Akhtar Naz, who has also been charged with sexual harassment of female students and has been proven guilty by an inquiry committee. The inquiry committee in a similar case had punished Dr Naz in 2002.
PU teachers term IJT activists ‘hypocrites’ because IJT activists were demanding Dr Baloch’s termination for he sexually harassed students but were ‘silent’ when the inquiry committee suggested Dr Naz’s termination, but on the contrary were backing Dr Naz. PU teachers said that IJT propagated against the VC but never demanded any action against the Pro-IJT teachers who were also involved in academic corruption and sexual harassments.
IJT GOES AGAINST PU VC: The situation at PU will worsen in the coming days because IJT activists have openly started to charge PU VC with corruption. In this connection IJT activists held a press conference at the Lahore Press Club (LPC) on Wednesday and said that PU VC was silent and was not taking action those teachers who are involved in harassing female students. IJT activists told the media that PU VC’s polices were not in favour of students and teachers.
IJT Nazim Zubair Safder said that IJT activists were ‘illegally’ expelled from the varsity, and demanded Punjab governor restores those expelled students. He said that they will now hold a book fair in April, as administration had stopped this activity.
TEACHERS DEMAND HARASSERS BE PUNISHED: PU teachers demanded VC take action these two big cases of corruption. An inquiry committee has suggested Dr Bacloch and Dr Naz’s terminations. A PU teacher, seeking anonymity, said that the PU VC was completely aware of the situation and even had students’ applications in which they had alleged that the two teachers had harassed them, but was still not taking any action against them.
He said that these two teachers were threatening the female students. He said that it was tragic that Jamat-i-Islami and IJT were protecting Dr Naz. He said that teachers have been supporting the PU VC on every issue but now the VC’s ‘hippocratic attitude’ was forcing them to start a movement against him. He questioned why VC did not take action against teachers when the inquiry committee proved the allegations against them. He added that IJT activists were right in their demands and has associations with IJT, but he will oppose the corrupt officials even from his own group.
PU ADMINISTRATION BLAMES IJT: The PU administration also accused IJT activists of theft and corruption. A PU spokesman said that the IJT was backing the criminals and the involvement of Yasir Abbasi, an IJT activist, in car thefts was proof of IJT’s misdeeds. He said that an FIR No 27/11 under section 381/A, 406 T.P has been registered with Muslim Town Police Station against Yasir. The reference of the theft of car no LOF-7557, model 1992, from PU Hostel No 2 has been made in the FIR. Yasir named some of his friends in such incidents over which IJT took out a protest and pressurized police to avoid arresting his companions.
‘IJT ACTIVISTS ILLEGALLY OCCUPY HOSTEL ROOMS’: On a question regarding the lack of hostels and an increase in students, the spokesman said that some former and present students from the IJT have illegally occupied hostel rooms which caused problems. The varsity administration, from time to time, dispossessed illegally occupied rooms, such as rooms in Hostel No 1 and Khalid Bin Waleed Hall have been vacated from the custody of IJT.
He said that some students were expelled owing to their continuous involvement in criminal activities. Some of them, including Usman Ashraf, were forgiven on the assurance that they will not take part in such activities but they continued.
