15 injured in student groups’ clash at PU hostel
LAHORE: As many as 15 students were injured in a clash between two organisations at a Punjab University hostel on Tuesday.
Playing music at high volume led to clash between Pushtoon and Baloch Educational Development Movement and Islami Jamiat Tulaba (IJT) at hostel no 4.
The injured students were taken to Sheikh Zayed and Jinnah hospitals where they were said to be stable.
The injured were identified as Javed, Muzamil, Habib, Alamgir, Qaim, Imran, Naqeeb, Ibrar, Izhar Baloch, Zareef, Humyun, Ahsan, Ilyas, Sadam and Ahmed.
Pushtoon and Baloch Educational Development Movement’s Imran Kakar said some of the students were playing music in their room at hostel no 4 when a group of IJT activists reached there on Monday.
He said the IJT activists first torched the room while those who were playing music moved away after the incident.
On Tuesday, more than 100 IJT activists carrying pistols and clubs approached their gathering outside the hostel and opened fire.
He said some of them ran away and 15 were tortured by the IJT men.
He alleged that the policemen were present at the spot and no one intervened.
However, IJT Central Information Secretary Amjad Bukhari said two groups of Baloch and Pushtoon organisations clashed with each other and around 15 students from both sides were injured.
He said IJT had nothing to do with the clash.
Punjab University spokesman Khurum Shehzad said the administration would ensure peaceful academic atmosphere.
He said an inquiry team had been constituted to fix the responsibility.
He said the ‘miscreants’ were being identified through CCTV camera footage and outsiders would be handed over to police.
Muslim Town SHO Khursheed Ahmed said they were waiting for medical examination reports of the injured to register case against the attackers.
Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2016