LAHORE: Six students were injured when two groups clashed while playing a cricket match in Punjab University on Wednesday.

Pashtun Council and Punjabi Council students were playing a cricket match in the ground when a batsman from the latter group was declared out and he did not leave the crease.

Both student groups went into a harsh argument which resulted in a clash. Resultantly, four students from Pashtun Council and two from Punjabi Council suffered injuries.

The PU administration approached the scene and dispersed the students from the ground. The injured were shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Police take 47 members from both groups into custody

Meanwhile, a heavy police contingent reached the scene and took 47 students from both groups into custody.

Pashtun Council chairman Asfandyar Khan told Dawn that the Pashtuns clashed with the Punjabi Council members over ‘making racial comments.’

He said the students were playing a cricket match and a batsman who was declared out did not leave the ground and he made ‘racial’ comments.

He said the Punjabi Council members were large in number and they allegedly tortured their Pashtun fellows and four of them were injured.

He said the Pashtuns had submitted an application for registration of a case.

Condemning the [police] action, he said the police had taken their 30 members into custody while 17 were nabbed from Punjabi Council.

A PU spokesperson said the students clashed while playing a cricket match and the administration had called the police to normalise the situation.

He said legal and administrative action would be taken against the students involved in the clash.

A Lahore police spokesperson said as many as 47 students from both groups were taken into custody and the police were waiting for an application to register the case.

He said the police would lodge the case on behalf of the state if no one from both parties submitted the complaint.

Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2023