HYDERABAD, Feb 26: The Sindh Agriculture University syndicate, at an urgent meeting on Monday, condemned Saturday’s attack on the university and discussed the situation arising out it.

Presided over by Vice-Chancellor Dr Basheer Ahmed Shaikh, the meeting demanded an inquiry into the incident by a Sindh High Court judge and offered condolence on the death of a university student, Majid Rajput.

Mr Rajput was injured in a clash between two groups of students at the campus on February and his subsequent death had led to the attack on the university by a large number of residents of a Tandojam locality he lived in.

A meeting of the deans committee was also held which expressed grief and sorrow over the demise of Mr Rajput and offered prayers for the departed soul.

It condemned the ransacking of the university campus by a huge mob of miscreants that had tarnished sanctity of the institute and inflicted massive damage to its building, transport and equipments. It demanded urgent compensation for the losses to the university property.

Yet another meting was held by the Sindh Agriculture University Teachers’ Association which condemned the attack on the university.

The meeting, presided over by Professor Dr Ubaid Ali Buriro, discussed the grave situation arising out of the attack and demanded an inquiry into the incident by a high court judge to expose those elements, who had masterminded the attack and tarnished sanctity of the university. The meeting demanded strict action against the assailants and compensation for those who had suffered losses.

It called upon the university administration to resume academic activities to save precious time of the students and offered cooperation of the faculty in this regard.

SPSF-SB: The leaders of the Sindh People’s Students Federation (Shaheed Bhutto) have denied their organisation’s involvement in the attack and held the SPSF, the student wing of the People’s Party Parliamentarians, and the Jeay Sindh Students’ Federation responsible for the murder of Majid Rajput.

Speaking at a news conference at the press club here on Monday, SPSF-SB leaders Barkat Lashari, Malik Munawwar and others said that the trouble had started 15 days before the attack on Mr Rajput when the SPSF had opened its office in the university under the patronage of the vice-chancellor.

They said that activists of the SPSF and the JSSF indulged in extortion and snatching cell phones from students, including those belonging to the SPSF-SB.

They said that Mr Rajput was a valiant worker and registered member of Shaheed Bhutto group, and alleged that he was severely tortured by JSSF and SPSF activists, which led to his death.

They, however, denied that the SPSF-SB had anything to do with the attack on the university and torching of vehicles on February 24.

They claimed that some days ago, clashes had taken place in Tandojam town between the activists of the Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement. They said that later, both groups reconciled and the MQM agreed to pay a compensation of Rs500,000 to the JSQM. They said that now they were united and were responsible for the murder of Mr Rajput.

They demanded that the murderers of Mr Rajput be arrested without further delay. They accused the vice-chancellor and the security chief of the university of failing to take any action at proper time.

They said that the colour of ethnic strife was being given to the incident of the university attack and the SPSF-SB was being wrongly implicated in the attack.

Meanwhile, the SPSF-SB activists observed black day at the Mehran University of Engineering and Technology on Monday to protest against the killing of Mr Rajput.

SPSF-SB leaders Mohammad Moosa Khoso, Javed Daudpoto and Mohsin Rajput demanded arrest of the killers of Mr Rajput.