Punjab University Pro-IJT staffers : Exam at ICS

Pro-IJT staffers 'betray' PU teachers' struggle
Lahore, Apr 10: The Punjab University's Institute of Communication Studies (ICS) administration, while flouting the unanimous decision of the university's deans and principals, conducted the examination of BS (Hons) on Friday. All deans and principals in a meeting chaired by PU Vice-Chancellor Dr Mujahid Kamran on Thursday had unanimously decided to postpone all the ongoing semester examinations.

However, the ICS administration, led by Dr Ahsan Akhtar Naz, conducted the last paper of BS (Hons), 4th Semester, on Friday ,which raised serious concerns among the teachers community.

It was learnt that the PU Academic Staff Association (PUASA) has also formed a committee to look into the matter.

Interestingly, an ICS statement issued on Friday claimed: "According to the decision of the deans of faculties, directors, principals and heads of teaching departments, the semester exams of all classes (morning and evening) have been postponed till further orders."

Sources said the examinations were to be held on Friday and except the BS (Hons), the rest were scheduled for afternoon and evening and no other exam was conducted. They said the exam was conducted early morning while the ICS administration, after receiving criticism from some teachers, postponed the rest of the exams. It is pertinent to mention here that the ICS falls under the Faculty of Behaviuoral and Social Sciences and its Dean Dr Mugheesuddin Sheikh had also attended the deans and principals' Thursday meeting.

The conducting of exams, despite a unanimous decision by PU teachers to postpone the same, has created doubts about the sincerity of Dr Naz and Dr Mughees towards their colleagues' ongoing strike against the Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT). Some faculty members alleged that due to their past affiliation with the IJT, both the officials, the dean and the director, had tried to betray their colleagues in the movement against the IJT. The PU teachers have been observing a complete boycott of classes since April 2 after dozens of IJT activists thrashed and injured Principal of the College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Dr Iftikhar Baloch, on April 1.

During a meeting on April 8, the PU deans, principals and other officials reached a unanimous decision to get all the hostels vacated and to postpone all the exams from April 9 till further orders. When contacted, Dr Naz said classes had been suspended from April 2 as per the decision of the PUASA, adding that the BS exam was conducted as no notification was received regarding the postponement of exams.

PU violence
Lahore: After several days of violence, the Punjab University has cancelled scheduled exams and shut down hostels. Many students had already left the campus after the mayhem that unfolded following the thrashing of a professor, who headed the university's academic committee, by IJT activists. Such hooliganism is of course not new. It has occurred before. The grip of the IJT on the PU and indeed other campuses means a reign of fear remains in place, with 'moral' vigilance squads monitoring activities and dictating how various aspects of university life are to be run. The latest incident, with the police raiding the campus and questioning terrified students, demonstrates why so many problems continue to plague our system of higher education. Classes on campus have remained disrupted for days and the virtual closure of the university will obviously affect learning. What is more, it is unfair to expect academicians to teach or students to pursue studies when there is a constant threat of violence.

Over the years many of the best professors have indeed left the PU because of the menace of violence. Various attempts have been made in the past to rein in the IJT but none have succeeded. The time has come to act in a more decisive way. Half-hearted measures will have no impact. The group of thugs in the guise of students is obviously unwilling to relinquish control or give up its hold. The Punjab government and the authorities that control higher education need to act. Our students need an opportunity to study in peace and indeed also to pursue other activities that form a part of campus life. They must be provided with an opportunity to do so and protected from the kind of havoc we see today.

IJT being maligned: JI chief
Lahore: JI Ameer Syed Munawwar Hasan has said the vice chancellor of the Punjab University has darkened the future of 100 students by expelling them from the varsity, which is bound to push them to extremism.Delivering the Friday sermon at the Mansoora mosque, he said such a drastic and unjust step would push the young generation to violence. He said the students involved in the PU incident were not associated with the Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba, yet the IJT was being maligned. He demanded a thorough probe into the matter by an impartial commission. The news

JI Ameer's threat to PU VC slammed
Lahore: The Joint Action Committee for Peoples Rights (JAC) has condemned JI Ameer Munawar Hasan's threats to Prof Dr Mujhad Kamran, Vice Chancellor University of the Punjab.

JI Ameer Munawar Hasan stated that if Dr Mujhad Kamran did not mend his ways, he would have to face dire consequences. Munawar Hasan uttered these words in the wake of recent disturbance in the Punjab University in which the professors were maltreated and insulted by a group of students.

The Joint Action Committee for Peoples Rights (JAC) has condemned this irresponsible statement of Munawar Hasan and has termed his behaviour anti educational ignoring the educational services of Dr Mujahid Kamran. Munawar Hasan further stated that the disciplinary action of Dr Mujahid Kamran against IJT is based on bias. He threatened that this bias will be met with an iron hand.

The Joint Action Committee for Peoples Rights (JAC) has been much concerned that in the past such statements have resulted in violence.

The JAC has called upon the authorities to take extra ordinary precautionary measures for the protection of Dr Mujahid Kamran. The JAC said that the Punjab University was being hijacked at the hands of Jamait and that's why the standard of education does not meet the international standards. If people like Dr Mujahid Kamran make any effort to improve the state of affairs in the Punjab University, then the IJT activists politicise the issue for their ulterior motives.

JAC has termed Dr. Mujahid Kamran is a veteran professor and has been awarded the Presidential Pride of Performance. It is need of the hour that the steps taken by the Vice Chancellor should be implemented in letter and spirit so the educational atmosphere in the Punjab University should remain congenial. JAC has reiterated its demand to immediately apprehend the culprits of brutal attack on Prof Dr. Iftikhar Baloch.

IJT protest rally against VC
Lahore: Activists of Islami Jamiat Talaba Friday took out a protest rally against the Vice Chancellor Punjab University and in defence of the allegations levelled against them.

The rally which started from Science College Wah-adat Road ended at campus bridge. The participants of the rally were carrying placards and banners inscribed with slogans against the Vice Chancellor and in their defence.

The rally was led by Nazim Jamia and Nazim Lahore who in their address said that the VC was afraid of the Islamic values of the Jamiat and he wanted to expel the Islamic mind students from the university.

They said Jamiat possessed a background of peace and harmony and their activists were never involved in any sort of violence. The nation

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A tribute to literary giant
Multan: The Bahauddin Zakariya University on Friday paid a tribute to Dr Arsh Siddiqui, the founding chairman of the varsity's English department.

Prominent among the literati who remembered Dr Siddiqui was Khurram Khirram Siddiqui of the Pakistan Academy of Letters, Islamabad. The BZU's English and Urdu departments observed the 13th death anniversary of the literary giant.

English Department chairperson Prof Dr Mubina Talat presided over the function participated in, among others, by Urdu poet Fayyaz Tehseen and Urdu Department chairperson Dr Rubina Tareen.

Mr Khurram Khiraam Siddiqui said Arsh Siddiqui was a versatile man and one of the most important names in Urdu poetry. Almost all his poems, he said, started on a note of delight. It was he who, besides inculcating other qualities among his students, laid stress on character-building.

He said Dr Siddiqui taught him how a poet could lead a successful practical life. "His contribution to the promotion of knowledge, literature and modern thinking in southern part of Punjab was remarkable."

The guest of honour also read English translations of Arsh's Urdu poems "Muhabbat lafz tha mera" and "Bazahir jee rahen hain hum" which are included in the recently-published issues of the Pakistani Literature Selection (1947-2010) and a PAL publication. (These have been compiled and edited by Khurram Khiraam Siddiqui).

Prof Mubina said Dr Siddiqui opened the gates of the BZU to the girls of this region. She said Dr Siddiqui combined both East and West in his personality and imparted the values of this harmonious unison. He was a great humanist and worked tirelessly for the welfare of the department.

She said Dr Siddiqui was a role-model for his pupils and an ideal English professor who taught the subject by practically displaying it through his personality and made valuable contribution to the promotion of literature. Dawn

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MoU between PU, Kobe University discussed
Lahore: Renowned Japanese scientist of quantitative genetics Dr Takashige Ishii of Kobe University called on the Punjab University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran here on Friday and held preliminary discussions for establishing a laboratory at School of Biological Sciences in connection with its research project determining salinity tolerance at maturity stage in rice varieties.

A press statement said that Dr Kamran apprised the visiting Japanese plant breeder about different research projects being pursued in collaboration with national and international developmental organisations. He said special attention was being focused on enhancing research efforts to increase number of PU PhDs in the shortest possible time.

Dr Takashige Ishii appreciated the standard of research work being conducted at the School of Biological Sciences.

He further remarked that he was keenly interested in enhancing collaboration between the University of Kobe and Punjab University in the field of plant research projects. For this purpose, he added, an MoU between the two universities could prove helpful in boosting research pursuits and enhancing exchange of delegations of faculty and research workers.

Pro Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Jamil Anwar, Registrar Prof Dr Muhammad Naeem Khan, DG SBS Dr M Akhtar, Advisor to Vice-Chancellor Col Ikram Ullah Khan and Director External Linkages Maria Maldonado also participated in the discussion.

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GCU wins six awards
Lahore: The Government College University Debating Society (GCU-DS) has won six awards at three national poetry contests hosted by Allama Iqbal Medical College (AIMC), King Edward Medical University (KEMU) and Rawalpindi Medical College (RMC). Rai Umair Ali Wasif stood first at AIMC and KEMU in the Ghazal category. Hafiz Habibur Rehman stood second at all the three contests in Nazam category while Saad Farooq secured the first position in singing category at the Rawalpindi Medical College.

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Teachers' body calls for protest on 21st
Lahore: Joint Action Committee of Asataza Punjab (JACAP) alleging bureaucracy for conspiring against teachers has urged teachers to unite for a decisive protest and rally on April 21.

In a press statement, JACAP office-bearers including Rana Arshad, Jan-e-Alam Khan and Rana Liaquat said the bureaucracy was going to sacrifice over 30000 schoolteachers in order to cover its failures.

They said the government was conspiring to remove undergraduate teachers, adding by removing teachers having 20/25 years of experience the education system would be destroyed.

JACAP office-bearers further said youth did not like profession of teaching owing to meagre salaries, adding teachers would not allow the bureaucracy to remove the experienced teachers.

They further said a protest demonstration and rally would be organized from Nasir Bagh to Masjid-e-Shuhada against the possible move on 21 April. The news

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