IJT activists thrashed PU professor
IJT activists attacked the Vice Chancellor (VC) Office
Lahore, Apr 02: Dozens of activists of the Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT)
critically injured a senior professor of the Punjab University,
ransacked his office, damaged vehicles outside his office and also
attacked the Vice Chancellor (VC) Office and the VC House at varsity's
New Campus on Thursday. The varsity officials said the violent
reaction was the result of expulsion of some students belonging to the
IJT. They said around five IJT activists, whose cases were processed by
the varsity's Disciplinary Committee, were issued expulsion
notifications on Thursday, which aggravated the situation. The
officials further alleged that dozens of Jamiat activists attacked the
office of the PU College of Earth & Environmental Sciences (CEES)
Prof Dr Iftikhar Hussain Baloch, who was also Chairman of the
Disciplinary Committee, with sticks and rods at around 3:30 pm. They
added some activists then moved to the VC Office and his residence and
caused damage to the properties. They further said since the
Jamiat activists were more in number, the university guards failed to
resist and stop them. PU Resident Officer (RO) Prof Shahid Mahmood Gul
and Chairman Hall Council Prof Dr Muhammad Akhtar said Dr Baloch had
received severe head injuries and fell unconscious for quite some time,
adding he was taken to Jinnah Hospital but was referred to the Services
Hospital. They said Dr Iftikhar Baloch was the main target of
the IJT activists as he was heading the Disciplinary Committee which
had recently expelled some of their colleagues after through
investigations including opportunity of personal hearing. The
IJT, the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), had earlier blocked the
main Canal Road as a protest against the expulsion of their colleagues.
However, after police intervention, they left the scene and entered the
university premises. Meanwhile, addressing an emergent press
conference at the PU Executive Club, VC Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran, who was
flanked by other officials said Jamiat activists were involved in the
incident, adding it was the darkest day in the history of the Punjab
University. They strongly condemned the incident PU Chapter
IJT Nazim Hasaan Bin Salman, who is the son of noted JI leader Hafiz
Salman Butt, said those involved in the incident were not members of
the Jamiat, adding it was unfortunate that the varsity administration
was implicating the IJT. "In fact, I myself went to disperse the
students who were earlier protesting by blocking the main Canal Road,"
he claimed adding "The Jamiat strongly condemns the incident." Meanwhile,
an IJT press statement also denied involvement of its activists in the
incident. PU Chapter Jamiat's secretary information Hanan Nafees
alleged in the statement that the PU administration was levelling
baseless allegations against the student organisation. "Each year
before the book fair, the PU admin accuses the Jamiat to damage the
academic activity organized by Jamiat," it concluded. Meanwhile,
Insaf Students Federation (ISF), the student wing of Pakistan
Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI), has condemned the IJT attack alleging the
so-called student organization, Jamiat, was a terrorist organisation.
ISF Lahore general secretary Farrukh Habib and PU chapter president
Kamil Hameed said many FIRs had been registered against the Jamiat
activists but no action had been taken. The news
Post your comments
BNU administration seeks time to reconsider departments' merger
Lahore: The Beaconhouse National University (BNU) administration sought some
time from the students of School of Liberal Arts (SLA) to deliberate
their decision of merging SLA with the School of Social Sciences (SSS)
and said they will call the board of governors' (BoG) meeting earlier
than schedule to resolve the issue. BNU Vice Chancellor Sartaj
Aziz invited a delegation of students on Thursday and urged them to end
their protest, adding that the administration would address their
grievances in the BoG meeting, which will be called in April instead of
its scheduled time in June. BNU Registrar Farzana Shahid was also
present in the meeting. The SLA students had launched a protest inside
the campus on Wednesday after the administration announced the merger
of SLA into SSS and the removal of SLA Dean Naveed Shahzad. The
students told the reporters that the merger was illogical as the two
departments were not relevant to each other in any way and Naveed
Shahzad was the most competent and qualified person for the curriculum
they were studying. They said they would not let her be terminated as
the department had come up to this level because of her untiring
efforts. However, Sartaj Aziz said that the
university will listen to the students' demands and that Naveed Shahzad
was not being terminated but they were promoting her. The SLA students
who met the VC included Shahrukh Naveed, Alizeh Khalid, Hasham bin
Munawar, Fahad Noor. They said that the administration
showed a positive sign by listening to their demands, including
withdrawing the decision to merge the two departments and keeping their
favourite teachers. Request: They also said they had requested
the administration to include some people from the field of arts in the
BoG as the university claimed to specialise in liberal arts yet the
board mostly comprised economists who had nothing to do with their
subjects. A student said the VC also talked about the
possibility of merging SLA with the School of Mass Communication,
however, they told him that keeping SLA as an independent department
was a better option. Termination: "We also requested our vice
chancellor not to terminate Naveed Shahzad because she is the one who
developed the department to this advanced level and is experienced in
the subjects we are studying. The VC has assured us that our teacher
will be kept," he asserted. The students said some of them wanted to
continue their protest and boycott classes instead of giving the
administration the time sought, adding, however, they will decide their
future course of action after handing over a written charter of demands
to the administration today (Friday). Daily times
Post your comments
AIMC principal among 50 doctors booked
Lahore: The Garden Town Police have registered a case against around 50
doctors, including Prof Dr Javed Akram, Principal Allama Iqbal Medical
College/ Jinnah Hospital, for thrashing journalists and damaging their
electronic gadgets. On Wednesday, the premises of Jinnah Hospital tuned
into a 'battlefield' when dozens of doctors, paramedics and students
attacked the journalists and cameramen covering a protest staged by a
family over the death of a patient. Prof Dr Javed Akram
reportedly provoked the doctors and paramedics into manhandling the
journalists. The call made by the Prof Dr Javed Akram encouraged the
doctors and paramedics who turned violent and damaged the set-up of
Digital Satellite News Gathering (DSNG) of few TV channels. The doctors
snatched cameras of some cameramen besides breaking cameras of two
others in a bid to damage the footage of the protest. After
two hours of this incident, it was observed that more than 100 doctors
and paramedical staff of the hospital came out of the hospital and
ransacked three-story office of Saher Cable Networks for not blocking
their service. They also injured 10 employees of the cable network. Nine
journalists of different organisations sustained injuries in the
incident. When contacted, Garden Town SHO Rehan Zia said the case was
registered under Sections 341/379/427/148/149 PPC on the complaint of
Punjab Union of Journalists president. He said the complainant only
nominated the principal of Allama Iqbal Medical College in the FIR
while the remaining doctors involved in the incident were yet to be
identified.
Post your comments
UHS employees to stage protest in front of PA today
Lahore: The employees of University of Health Sciences urged
Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif to take notice of the varsity
administration's warning of removal from services for failing to join
their duties by April 3. Taking strong exception of this, they
said this unilateral action against them was being taken for raising
their just demand of regularisation. They said it is one of the sickest
jokes on April foolís day. The hunger strike and protest under
scorching sun by the employees of University of Health Sciences for the
past one week has so far failed to move provincial government
authorities as none of the officials bothered to visit the protesting
employees in order to give a sympathetic word with regard to resolving
the conflict in an amicable manner. "We have been made to run
from pillar to post but no body has turned up to listen to the genuine
grievance of depriving them of their right of regularisation," the UHS
employees said, adding that the provincial government must stand behind
the underprivileged and less powerful employees rather than supporting
privileged high-ups of the university for their unjust decision of
denying regularisation to its non-gazetted employees. The hunger
strike camp and protest demonstration of employees, under the banner of
All Pakistan Clerks Association UHS Unit was led by its president, Mian
Naveed and other office-bearers. It continued here outside UHS premises
on Thursday as they were denied entry on the seventh day. The APCA
representatives including Chaudhry Afzal, Haji Irshad, and Nadeem
Chughtai, Lala Aslam, Fazal Dad Gujjar, Sultan Mujaddadi and other
office-bearers also joined them in their protest to show solidarity
with their colleagues of UHS for their just demand of regularisation.
The UHS employees were supposed to hold protest and hunger strike camp
outside Lahore Press Club on Thursday, but they were denied access to
planned venue due to closure of roads on the arrival of Turkish
President in Lahore. However, continuing their protest outside
UHS premises, the employees were holding banners and placards inscribed
with their demands and raising slogans against university
administration's haughty and dictatorial attitude with the employees,
by opening violating the Punjab government's orders to regularize all
employees from grade 1 to 15 as it had already abolished contract
policy in the province. In violation of Punjab government's policy,
they said the UHS had awarded five year and six month contracts to the
employees, adding that now the UHS had through an advertisement in the
newspapers had warned them to join their duties till April 3 or face
termination from their services. "It's an open challenge to the
administration of provincial government, which is working for the
welfare of non-gazetted employees as reflected in the regularization of
grade 1 to 15 employees in all government institutions in the
province," they said, urging the Punjab government to order UHS to
withdraw this advertisement forthwith. They demanded of the
Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif to intervene and protect the
livelihood of grade 1 to 15 employees of the university and their
families otherwise they would not be able to support their poor
families in unemployment. The UHS employees have vowed to
continue hunger strike till death for fulfilment of their just demand
of regularization, adding that if any employee's condition deteriorated
or died, then the entire responsibility would lie with the Punjab
government administration and Vice Chancellor of the university. They
also announced to hold their hunger strike camp in front of Punjab
Assembly on Friday (today). The news
Post your comments
Baitbazi contest held at UVAS
Lahore: University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences' literary society
(UVAS) organized a Mehfil-e-Mushaira and Baitzazi contest on third day
Wednesday of the 'Student Week' of the varsity. The special and chief
guest of the third day of the UVAS 'student week' Director Animal
Sciences, United States, Department of Agriculture (USDA) Dr Muqarrab
Ali also read out his own poetry in the mehfil-e-mushaira. Addressing
on the occasion, Muqarrab Ali said that UVAS vice chancellor Prof Dr
Muhammad Nawaz is tying its level best to make linkages with the
renowned education institutions of the world. He said that history of
UVAS from the beginning is marvelous and commendable as its
veterinarians are serving in the renowned companies and departments
internationally. As per details, male and female students took part in
the mehfil-e-mushaira and baitbazi contest that started in the
auditorium room of UVAS at 1:30pm and continued till 6:00pm. F.P. report
Post your comments
PU result
Lahore: The Punjab University (PU) Examinations Department has announced the result of
Postgraduate Diploma in Criminology & Security Studies Programme,
Semester Session 2007-2008, on Thursday. The detailed result is
available on PU website www.pu.edu.pk.
Post your comments
Primary schools now English medium
Lahore: The Punjab government has declared all public sector primary schools in
Lahore, Multan and Faisalabad as English medium from April 1. According
to a DGPR handout, subjects of math and science would be taught in the
English language to improve standard of education in the public sector
schools in the province.
Post your comments
New Urdu book
Lahore: Urdu book 'Tasawwraat' written by
poet and critic Dr Jawaz Jafferi is available in the market. The book
contains around 18 creative and research-based chapters. Dr Jawaz
Jafferi, who is serving at Urdu Department, MAO College, has written
ten books. Dr Jafferi has been exploring Urdu literary works of foreign
writers and bringing them to aubcontinent readers. The news
Post your comments
| 
