LARKANA: Four employees of the Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University (SMBBMU) were placed under suspension a day after admissions of eight Chandka Medical College (CMC) students were suspended following a clash between them on Monday in the office of the varsity provost.

The action against the students — Osama Nazeer, Mubashir Nazeer, Abdul Baqi, Awais Panhwar, Mohammed Ali Chandio, Faheem Raza, Munsif Khoso and Farman Khoso — was taken when the provost complained of their violent behavior and the university employees’ union held a demonstration in front of the college on Monday.

The following day, senior data processing officer Abdul Rauf Mash’hori and three junior clerks, Ihsan Chandio, Syed Imam­uddain Shah and Moha­mmed Hafeez Chandio, were placed under suspension. They, along with another employee, Jawed Soomro, were injured in a clash with the unruly students, union leader Noor Hulio told Dawn on Tuesday while leading a second demonstration at the CMC gate over the violent incident.

SMBBMU registrar Prof Safdar Shaikh said that the vice chancellor had given his approval to the action and an inquiry into the whole episode.

He said that a six-member committee was being constituted to hold the inquiry and recommend action after fixing responsibility.

Formation of the committee was announced on Monday but a notification to this effect could not be issued as CMC Principal Prof Dr Zameer Soomro was away from Larkana on account of examinations being held in some other cities as well.

The registrar said that the clash had caused tension on the campus. He said the provost in his complaint had accused the eight students of misconduct, violent beh­avior and physical fighting with the employees resulting in injuries to four employees.

He said that Dr Shabnam would convene a meeting of the proposed inquiry committee once its other members were named and a notification was issued.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2023