Punjab University (PU) syndicate, teachers, students, employees and residential community has strongly condemned the elements of Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba (IJT) for locking up the house of PU faculty member Dr Munawar Sabir and taking him and his family hostage for taking action against illegal elements in hostels.
PU teacher’s community criticised the Punjab government on poor law and order at PU as according to them due to Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s poor policies, the members of IJT had kept weapons inside the hostels and were harbouring ‘miscreants’ from Waziristan and tribal areas. They also asked the CM to provide security to them and their families.
PU residential community also demanded for a police operation inside the hostel as according to them these illegal elements were involved in robberies and thefts. PU senior professors also demanded that a police chowaki be set up inside the campus and condemned the government of Punjab for not taking steps to protect the varsity’s students and teachers.
According to them, these ‘elements’ had locked up the house of Dr Munawer Sabir and were keeping his family hostage. According to sources, the hostel administration had decided to take an action against these ‘elements’ and had locked up the rooms of illegal occupants, who, in turn, had locked up Sabir’s house.
They said the miscreants had set up torture cells inside the hostels and were torturing students to impose their agenda on the campus. Sabir said it was very disheartening since his family was suffering also, adding that this act was condemnable. He said the incident had been brought into the knowledge of administration.
According to a PU’s senior professor, the families of the teachers inside the hostel and students were worried about the presence of these ‘elements’ since they carried modern weapons including Kalashnikovs and grenades. He said in the past, the university had recovered weapons from them but the Punjab government was not serious. He said there was need of a grand operation inside the hostels to eradicate the illegal elements. He said in the past, cases had been registered against these illegal elements and these groups belonged to militant organisations and were working towards promoting violence on the campus.
He said taking Sabir’s family hostage was a minor issue since these members had entered the houses of the faculty members and had tortured them, adding that they had also opened fire at some teachers but the government had been silent.
PU students also condemned the elements and said the government need to rid PU of them to promote a healthy learning environment.
PUTF CONDEMNS: An emergency meeting of Executive Council of the Punjab University Teachers Front (PUTF) was held here on Saturday in which members of Syndicate Prof Dr Shaukat Ali, Assistant Professor Javed Sami and Lecturer Shumaila Gul participated among others. The meeting strongly denounced the incident of illegally detaining Hostel No 1 Superintendent Assistant Prof Dr Munawar Sabir and fully expressed solidarity with him.
The participants demanded of the Punjab government that police be instructed to launch operation with the help of university administration to oust rogue elements of IJT so students could continue their studies in a peaceful academic atmosphere. The participants also demanded of the university administration to initiate legal action against the goons of IJT in not time.
PU SPOKESMAN: Meanwhile Punjab University Spokesman has strongly condemned IJT for illegally detaining Sabir. He said the administration would take disciplinary action against the illegal boarders in the hostels. The spokesman said the administration would not be blackmailed by these elements. The spokesman said criminals were operating in the ranks of IJT and warned them to stop backing the culprits. He said the administration, following its previous policies, would not allow these hooligans to disturb the peaceful academic environment of the varsity and would take disciplinary action against them.
PU EMPLOYEES CONDEMN: According to a PU employee, PU employees were directly targeted by the IJT who had also tortured one of the employees a few days ago. He said these elements were collection huge money from teachers on the name of “Aianat” (fund for their organisation) and were also taking money from hostel canteens but no one was taking an action to stop their hooliganism and said these peoples were misusing the name of Islam.
ISF CONDEMNS: Insaaf Students’ Federation also condemned the ‘hooliganism’ of IJT and said severe action needed to be taken against them.