LAHORE: A violent clash between two student groups at the Punjab University on Tuesday left 19 students injured.
According to details, a student group, Pushtun Students Federation (PSF), was celebrating their cultural when a rival group arrived and tried to stop Pushtun students from performing their traditional folk dance, which eventually led to an all-out brawl.
According to sources, both groups started pelting stone on each other when some activists of the Islami Jamiat Tulaba (IJT) allegedly set the camp of Pushtun students on fire in order to stop them from performing their folk dance. Both groups also chanted slogans against each other.
Higher Education Minister Raza Ali Gillani also participated in the event and soon after he left the venue, the scuffle started. Police contingents were called in, who in order to disperse student, shelled tear gas.
Subsequently, all gates of varsity were also closed by the administration. Police arrested more than 20 students, including activists of IJT. However, injured students were shifted to the Shiekh Zayed Hospital and Jinnah Hospital.
Taking notice of the incident, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has directed the Lahore capital city police officer (CCPO) to submit a report on the incident and take strict action against those involved in the dust-up. Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah in a media interview blamed IJT activists for the brawl.
Addressing a press conference after conducting a high-level meeting with PU administration, Higher Education Minister Raza Ali Gillani constituted a fact finding committee under the supervision of PU Vice Chancellor Dr Zafar. The committee will present its report to the minister within 10 days.
The minister said that Pushtun students were holding the event after the approval of the university’s administration. He added that strict action would be taken against culprits irrespective of their affiliation with any organisation.
Talking to media, PU Vice Chancellor Dr Zafar said that indiscriminate action would be taken against those involved in the incident and nobody would be allowed spread chaos at the campus.
Separately, several IJT leaders held a press conference at the Lahore Press Club in which Samia Raheel Qazi was of the view that she was part of an event of IJT female wing regarding Pakistan Day when the students wearing Pushtun cultural dress attacked the event and tortured female students.
JI Lahore President Hafiz Salman Butt observed that IJT had always supported the folk cultures of all provinces. He added that IJT had diverse culture in itself as thousands of Pushtoon are also part of IJT from all over Pakistan.
IJT Lahore nazim was of the view that “un-Islamic dance was allowed at the varsity but female students were not allowed to hold an event related to the Pakistan Day”. He added that IJT and JI would not tolerate misbehave with female students, and that the IJT would take strict action against those responsible for the incident.
Pushtun students held a protest at the Campus bridge, and blocked the road for several hours.
On the other hand, activists of IJT belonging to Government Civil College blocked the Postal Master General (PMG) Chowk by burning tyres. They demanded arrest of students for allegedly torturing female students.
