Punjab CM quashes terrorism charges on students after PU clashes: report

LAHORE: Seven Pakhtun and Baloch councils students of the Punjab University were released from jails late on Saturday night, according to a report by a private media outlet.

More than a dozen students were injured when Islami Jamiat Tulba (IJT) and Pukhtun and Baloch councils students clashed on Jan 20. The brawl erupted between the two groups over holding Pioneer Festival to welcome newcomers on the ground of the College of Electrical Engineering Department.

After the clash police took more than 225 students, mostly belonging to Pakhtun, Baloch and Seraiki councils, into custody.

The police later, also registered four cases under section 7 of the Anti Terrorism Act (ATA) against the students for damaging public and private property, injuring policemen and creating law and order situation in the varsity.

As many 196 students were presented before an anti-terrorism court that sent 13 of them on physical and 183 on judicial remands.

The civil society, student organisations and political party’s activists condemned the police for registering ATA cases against the students and demanded the withdrawal of the same.

The Balochistan government also took notice of the PU students clash and sent its Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti to Lahore where he held a press conference, demanding the withdrawal of cases.

Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a meeting with the higher education minister Raza Ali Gillani, PU VC Prof Dr Zakeria Zakar, inspector general of police (IGP), chief secretary and others over the issue.

Sources privy to the meeting said the chief minister admonished the authorities for registering cases under terrorism charges and directed them to quash them and get the students released immediately.

They said Shehbaz Sharif also questioned the authorities why they did not take any action against the IJT students in March 2017 when they had attacked Pakhtun and Baloch council’s cultural day festival and that what prompted them to action against the guest students when they disrupted IJT event.

The chief minister directed the authorities not to victimise the councils, they added.

Following the CM directions, the higher education minister held a press conference and announced quashing of all the cases. The minister vowed to take only disciplinary action against the students.

Pakhtun Education Development Movement (PEDM) leader Muzamil Khan said seven of the body’s members were released, while around 180 were still in jails and lockups.

He said they would try to secure bails for rest of the students on Monday (today).

Punjab University spokesperson said the students were released on government’s directions and university administration had no role in it.

He said the university disciplinary committee would take action against the students involved in clashes and creating law and order situation on the campus.

Meanwhile, PU Registrar Khalid Khan has sent a letter to all deans, directors, chairmen and other heads of the departments and directed them to complete the record of all students for Students Record Management System within four days.

“The Students Record Management System has been developed to keep the record of the personal and educational information of all on-campus students of all the constituent colleges/departments/institutes/centres of the University of Punjab. However, the records for previous sessions and Graduate/ Masters level on-campus students are still incomplete,” the letter reads.