ISLAMABAD: A brawl between two groups of students at Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology (FUUAST), on Tuesday, left almost a dozen students injured.

As the brawl escalated, students fired gunshots in the air and a passerby in a nearby market was injured by a stray bullet. Following the incident, the FUUAST administration closed the university until June 12.

According to students and faculty members, there was a fight between two ethnic student groups - Pakhtun Students Federation and Siraiki Students Federation - on Monday, which escalated into a bigger clash on Tuesday.

The students, affiliated with the two groups beat each other up with chairs, bottles and other objects while some students began shooting bullets in the air.

Gunshots fired in the air; 11 injured; 35 arrested

The brawl spread fear and panic on the campus and many students, especially women, locked themselves in classrooms while hundreds of others made a run towards the basement.

A university security guard, Syed Akbar, told Dawn the students were terrified when they heard gunshots as they thought the university was under attack.

“On Monday, there was a fight between two students after which the federations also jumped into the fray. Today, the two parties exchanged hot words in the cafeteria and then got into a physical fight,” said a student, requesting anonymity.

Another student, Zuhaib Ali Shah, said a fight took place between the two groups on Monday and the university administration was aware of it. “But today’s incident is very unfortunate,” he said.

A university employee, who witnessed the incident, said a majority of students received injuries from sharp edges of broken glass bottles.

Upon receiving news, heavy contingents of police, Rangers and Rescue personnel rushed to the varsity. A number of injured students were shifted to Polyclinic and Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences.

“About 11 students were injured and 35 were arrested,” said Kamran Cheema, Assistant Commissioner City.

“Today’s incident is unfortunate. We have started investigation into the matter. Apparently, ethnic student groups are involved in the brawl but our investigation is underway,” said Campus In-charge Professor Dr Salman D. Mohammad.

In response to a query, Dr Mohammad said: “Yesterday, when we found out about the fight between the students we immediately contacted the police. When the police arrived, the students dispersed and the matter stood resolved for the time being. Today, we were trying for reconciliation but fighting broke out before we had resolved the issue.”

“Today’s incident exposed the poor security arrangements at the university. It is shameful that students managed to enter the university with weapons,” said a student who received a minor injury in the fight.

When Director Student Affairs Anayatullah was asked about how students managed to bring firearms on campus, he said: “Our campus does not have a boundary wall so weapons can easily be passed from outside through the gaps in the fence erected around the campus,” he said.

Meanwhile, a report was submitted to the Presidency by the university administration which stated that two ethnic student groups were involved in the brawl and firearms were used.

“It has also been observed that an invisible hand is involved with the previous management attempting to create a law and order situation for the new administration,” the report said.

In the past, FUUAST Islamabad Campus has been the site of a number of controversies. University employees routinely stage protests at the gates while the case of Vice Chancellor Dr Zafar Iqbal who was sent on a forced leave by the president of Pakistan continues to fight his case in courts.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2015

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