Bullets, stones turn PU into sectarian battlefield

Punjab University (PU) on Thursday became a battlefield when a sectarian clash between Islami Jamiat Talba (IJT) and Imamia Students Organisation (ISO) members broke out near the Faisal Auditorium ground which left a number of student injured in the scuffle in which stones were thrown and weapons brandished in the university campus.
PU sources told the clash began when ISO students informed the PU administration they planned to celebrate ‘Youm-e-Hussain’ (Day of Hussain) at the Chemical departments ground. While the ISO began to display posters of the event, the IJT brewed trouble maintaining no one but they could organize religious events at the campus. At 1030am on Thursday, when both the IJT and ISO tried to hold events at the Chemical departments ground, a scuffle between 100 armed IJT members and around 60 ISO members broke out. Both chanted slogans against the other while gun fire was heard across the campus, which sent regular students packing their bags and rushing out of campus.
PU sources said the administration and senior teachers realised the matter could not be handled by PU security staff and police was called to disperse the scuffle. However, despite the arrival of police, the stone-throwing continued for an hour which injured a number of students. An IJT member was also reported to have opened aerial fire. IJT members, however, squared the blame on the PU admin, and PU Vice Chancellor, for allowing the ISO to observe the ‘Youm-e-Hussain’ and purposefully inciting the clash to secure an extension. IJT members claimed its members were injured when ISO activists opened fire on them after which they held a protest at the Canal Bank Road to condemn the ‘violence against them.’
The official version: Speaking on the violence, the PU spokesman said the four year policy of the current PU administration to disallow student organisations from organising any activities had been vindicated. He said the IJT and ISO had asked the administration to allow them to organise events a few days ago, after which the PU admin allowed IJT to organise its event upon the condition the ISO would also hold an event on equal basis. He said after the IJT organised its event, they confronted the ISO when it tried to organise its event. He said on Wedesday evening, a student organization pasted a poster to organise a “Shan-e-Sahaba” conference at the Chemical department ground at the time allotted to the ISO. Later than night, IJT members opened aerial fire in the hostel area. He said the PU admin informed police, who requested the admin to restrain the ISO from holding their event to avoid any clash. He said the PU admin subsequently told ISO members the permission for the event had been withdrawn and they must postpone the event, which they refused. He said senior members of the PU security force were injured in the stone-throwing and IJT members, including Atif Gujjar, kidnapped two PU security force members, Waqar Sarwar Butt and Abdul Aziz, on gunpoint and took them to an unknown destination. He said of the two Abdul Aziz was released but Waqar Butt was still in IJT custody. He promised action against students according to PU rules and regulations and held the IJT responsible for firing incidents and other crimes at the campus. He said the IJT had not kept its commitment and showed its prejudices.