IJT tries to disrupt academic environment at PU

Atmosphere at the Punjab University (PU) became tense yet again when the Umeed-e-Pakistan Road Caravan arranged by the Islami Jamiat-e-Talba (IJT) reached Lahore on Thursday. The IJT claimed that the caravan reached from different parts of the city to the Government Islamia College, Civil Lines, where hundreds of students received the caravan. On the other hand, PU officials said that activists of the so-called IJT, led by Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Lahore chief Amirul Azeem, rallied through the PU academic blocks and hostel areas creating deep concern and distress among people and residents of hostels.
An emergency meeting of the core committee consisting of senior administrative staff, faculty and wardens of hostels, including the PU Hall Council chairman, was also held. The PU also closed the entrance gates except gate no 1 and 2 in order to stop IJT activities, which also created problems for students. The PU spokesman said that this disruption of normal academic activities of various faculties and departments had become an almost daily routine due to the unlawful activities of the IJT and their large number of colleagues from other student organisations, including a number of expelled PU students.
IJT members dug trenches, constructed so-called toilets and made stage arrangements in the hockey and cricket grounds and the vast stadium area of the PU. The core committee unanimously condemned such in-discipline and total disregard of university rules and regulations, according to which, it was essential that a formal permission be sought from competent university authorities to hold any meeting or other activity within the university premises.
The PU spokesman said that in view of the circumstances explained above, the high-powered board, set up by the Punjab government, reportedly rejected the idea of holding such a students convention in view of the overall security situation and other administrative and logistical problems. The core committee also appealed to the CM to take personal notice of threats to the PU’s academic environment and take suitable action to allow staff and students of the largest and oldest university of the country to continue its peaceful academic activities in the national interest. Separately, IJT Nazim Zubair Safdar said that the general convention from October 15 to 17 at the PU will promote hope in the younger generation and the nation. He rejected reports that the IJT was involved in disturbing the peace of the campus.