ATC grants judicial remand of 183 students in PU clash case

• Physical remand of 13 students granted by ATC

• Educational activities should continue in peaceful environment, says CM

• Youth and students are an asset not to any single party, but for entire nation: Liaqat Baloch

LAHORE: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC), on Wednesday, sent 183 students of Punjab University (PU) to jail on judicial remand and granted physical remand of 13 students charged for destroying the varsity property and attacking the police mobiles as well as officials during a scuffle that erupted between the activists of the Islami Jamiat Talaba and Pashtun students of the PU on Monday this week.

Although the situation remained calm on Wednesday in the administration blocks of the varsity, but tension prevailed throughout the day in the hostels as raids were conducted by the police on hostels number 1, 3, 7, 8, 18 and the Islamic Study Centre while arresting 5 more students.

Legal action should be initiated against elements responsible for students’ brawl: CM Shehbaz

Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif presided over the meeting of Cabinet Committee on Law and Order in which the overall situation of law and order in the province, as well as the incident that occurred in Punjab University, was reviewed in detail. Provincial higher education minister and acting vice chancellor of the Punjab University briefed the meeting about the incident.

Addressing the meeting, the chief minister said that educational activities should continue in a peaceful environment and legal action should be initiated against the elements responsible for students’ brawl. He made it clear that nobody is allowed to ruin the educational environment of a prestigious institution of higher education adding that rule of law will be ensured at every cost.

He said that an indiscriminate action should be initiated against the elements responsible for disturbing the educational process of the university and directed that effective measures should be adopted to curb the occurrence of such incidents in future.

In this regard, a transparent composite strategy should be devised. He said that an indiscriminate action is essential against the persons tarnishing the university’s image so that students could continue their education in a congenial environment.

It is the responsibility of the concerned department and the university administration to implement the decisions made in the past. In future, work should be done proactively with regard to the implementation of such decisions, he added. Various proposals were reviewed to continue the educational process in the varsity in a peaceful manner.

Provincial Ministers Rana Sanaullah, Ayub Gadhi, Raza Ali Gillani, Jehangir Khanzada, Advisor Rana Maqbool Ahmad, ACS (Home), IG Police and others attended the meeting.

Student leaders should settle their affairs by themselves: Liaqat Baloch

Meanwhile, Secretary General Jamaat-e-Islami Liaqat Baloch expressed deep concern over the clash of student groups, the arrests and the police interference in the campus. Talking to the members of the university administration, teaching staff, and students’ leaders at the varsity, he said that the youth and the students are an asset not to any single party, but for the entire nation and it was imperative to create an atmosphere of good will and tolerance at the campuses to avoid ugly incidents.

Liaqat Baloch said that the Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba had a long history of services in the field of education and social activities.

However, he said, that in every era, certain lobbies tried to present some happenings out of proportion only to achieve their evil designs. He said, had the university authorities, the police and the provincial government taken a timely action, the situation could have been controlled. He also appealed to the student leaders to try to improve the situation and settle their affairs by themselves.  He demanded the release of those who were arrested unjustifiably.

A spokesperson of the PU said that academic and research activities at the university resumed as per routine on Wednesday. The academic departments of the university witnessed calm and attendance of the students remained as usual. The classes at all the departments were held as per the schedule including the College of Electrical Engineering, as the administration had vowed not to compromise over academics of the students.

He also said that PU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Zakria Zakir has taken a firm decision to ensure peace on campus at all costs and the administration was ready to take any hard decision in this regard without taking any pressure from any group. He said that the university would take a disciplinary action against more students across the board who would be found involved in the incident during investigations.

Clashes among student groups erupt in Punjab University:

On Tuesday, as many as 37 students were suspended by the PU administration and three FIRs (First Information Reports) were launched in the Muslim Town Police Station against the miscreants over the incident on Monday in which over two dozen students were named.

Earlier, on Monday, the PU Electrical Engineering Department fell prey to the destruction of property as two student groups clashed over a cultural event early Monday morning in Lahore.

According to reports, several students were injured and a chemistry lab was torched after a fight between the groups broke out over a cultural event. The student groups attacked one another over preparations for Pioneer festival in the Electrical Engineering department.

The students were seen attacking each other with batons and pelting bricks. They also broke a number of car windows parked in the varsity’s premises.

The police force was called in by the authorities to handle the situation upon worsening of the situation and tear gas was used to disperse the clashing groups.

Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah took notice of the issue and instructed the police to take necessary action. He stated that the students indulging in the destruction of property would be dealt with according to law and would be charged with disrupting the peace of the university.