|
Harassment of KU teacher alleged
Karachi, April 5, 2008: Even as a coalition of people pressed for an
investigation into the violence suffered by Dr Riaz Ahmed allegedly at the hands
of Rangers personnel at the University of Karachi on March 31, teachers close to
the associate professor of applied chemistry claimed that he was being harassed
by the police who, they said, are being pressurised by the Rangers to pursue the
case.
"On Thursday, his [Dr Ahmed's] residence was visited by the police
but he was not at home," they said.
Dr Ahmed was reportedly beaten
by two Rangers officials as he tried to enter the KU campus through the Silver
Jubilee Gate on March 31. On April 2, Havaldar Anwarul Haq of the Sindh Rangers
lodged FIR No 73/2008 under Sections 337-F(iv) (intentionally causing injury
which leaves a bone exposed, a non-bailable offence punishable by up to five
years' imprisonment), 353 (assault or using criminal force to deter a public
servant from discharging his duty), 332 (causing hurt, including pain, injury,
disability or dismemberment of an organ) and 186 (obstructing a public servant
in the discharge of public functions)of the Pakistan Penal Code against the
professor at the Mobina Town police station.
The general secretary of the
Karachi University Teachers Society (Kuts), Dr Abid Hasnain, said that
after the incident, the Rangers had stated that they had detained the two
officials involved in the violence. "The next day, however, they twisted the
facts around and the Rangers' spokesperson denied any wrongdoing altogether," he
said, demanding the immediate withdrawal of the FIR lodged by the
Rangers.
Asked about his stance over the FIR lodged against Dr Ahmed, SSP
Investigations East Dr Amir Shaikh said that he had issued instruction to the
policemen under him to refrain from pursuing the case. When his attention was
drawn towards the visit made to Dr Ahmed's house by the police on Thursday
night, the SSP checked whether his orders had been followed and then said that none of his men, who belong to the investigation wing, had been involved.
"Those policemen could have been from the operations wing of the police," said
SSP Shaikh. "I would not go after a university professor in such a
case."
Probe into incident demanded
Meanwhile, an open
letter by a coalition of people was sent to various offices, including
newspapers. It pointed out that the use of force to settle disputes of any kind
must be condemned by all members of civil society. "The use of armed guards may
be understandable in a bank or a defence establishment," noted the letter, "but
the use of such guards in the fount of civil society, that is the academia,
somehow indicated a basic flaw in society. The sooner it is remedied, the
better."
Dr. Khurshid Ahmad (UK), Mrs Nasreen Saeedi (US), Dr Yasmin A.
Zaim (US), Dr Nikhat Siddiqui (Pakistan), Dr Irfan Ahmed (Indonesia), and Dr
A'amir Ahmed (England) stated in their letter out that Dr Riaz Ahmed took an
active decision to serve his country and his university. "After receiving his
doctorate from the University of Cambridge in the mid-1990s, he – if he [had]
wanted to – could have worked for multinationals and universities elsewhere in
the world. He is passionate about his work and the broader socio-political
environment he lives in. One may not necessarily agree with him but there is no
denying his commitment to his students and fellow citizens," they pointed
out.
"We write, in great sorrow and considerable personal anguish, about
the use of force against our brother, Riaz Ahmed," said the letter. "We would
like to ask the civil authorities in Karachi, especially the University of
Karachi's administration and the incoming provincial government, together with
the national authorities, including the Pakistan Ministry of Higher Education,
to investigate the matter thoroughly."
Black day announced
On Friday, Kuts issued a statement saying that all government
universities in Sindh would observe Saturday [today] as a black day in protest
against the treatment meted out to Dr Ahmed by Rangers at the University of
Karachi.
Teachers will wear black armbands throughout the province's
universities and, according to the statement, universities in other provinces
observed a black day on Friday when teachers wore black armbands to their
classes.
The statement called for an end to what it termed a 'harassment
campaign' against teachers, while Kuts reiterated its earlier demand for a
judicial inquiry into the incident. Dawn
Silent protest at Punjab Univerity
Lahore: The Punjab University Academic Staff Association (PUASA) on Friday
held a silent protest demonstration at New Campus, condemning thrashing of a
professor by Rangers personnel deputed at Karachi University a few days ago.
The demo was held on the call of Federation of All Pakistan Universities
Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA) after Jumma prayer in which PU teachers
expressed their anger over the incident. The silently protesting PU faculty
members were also carrying banners inscribed with different demands including
action against those involved in the incident and withdrawal of police and
Rangers deputed in various universities across the country.
On the
occasion, a large number of PU students and employees also condemned the
incident and expressed their solidarity with the teaching faculty. They
expressed their anger over the manhandling of a professor by Rangers personnel.
PUASA president Dr Mumtaz Salik led the demonstration while general
secretary Dr Mehar Saeed Akhtar and other office-bearers of the association were
also present.
It is pertinent to mention here that after the incident,
FAPUASA had given a call of protests in universities across the country.
New HU Vice Chancellor
Karachi: Chancellor Hamdard University, Senator S M Zafar, appointed Prof Dr Nasim A Khan
as the Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the Hamdard University (HU) with effect from
April 1, 2008. HU sources said the newly appointed VC has a Ph D, Ms and MSER
degrees from the US varsities. The News
|
