Alleged IJT members attack PU professor’s house

Two Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT) members on a motorcycle allegedly opened fire on Punjab University (PU) Physics Department Head Prof Dr Shaukat Ali’s house on Tuesday.
PU faculty members condemned the incident and criticised PU Academic Staff Association (PUASA) President Maher Saeed Akhtar for his silence over the incident. The faculty members said the PUASA president was not taking action against the perpetrators as he was pro-Jamaat-e-Islami and pro-IJT. They demanded the Punjab government provide protection to them against extremist elements in the varsity.
Punjab University Vice-Chancellor (VC) Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran strongly condemned the incident and asked Punjab Police Inspector General (IG) Javed Iqbal to take immediate action against the culprits. The IG, in response, instructed Muslim Town deputy superintendent of police to resolve the case on priority basis.
According to a PU spokesman, the administration could neither be pressurised nor stopped from implementing rules and regulations regarding on-campus criminal activities. He said the Disciplinary Committee had called Ibrar Watto of the Law College for hearing on his alleged involvement in illegal activities. Since Prof Ali is a member of the Disciplinary Committee, Watto picked a grudge against him and sent two masked students on bike to attack his house, said the spokesman. Security Mehmood and Waheed tried to nab the shooters but they fled, he added.
The PU administration has filed an application with police for necessary legal action. Moreover, PU faculty members will take out a protest rally from the Centre for Undergraduate Studies at 10am today (Wednesday).
A PU Professor said: “It is a pity that extremist elements get support from members of faculty and administration.” He said the teaching community would soon expose pro-JI and pro-IJT elements and try to eliminate them to ensure security and peace in the university.