Jamiat backed PU Academic Group defeated

Teachers backing IJT lose PUASA polls after 10 years
Lahore, Dec 31: Punjab University's Teachers' Alliance (PUTA) has defeated the PU Academic Group (AG), a teacher's wing of Jamate Islami having strong sympathies with Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT), on key offices in the annual academic staff association elections on Tuesday.

The PUTA won most key posts of Punjab University Academic Staff Association (PUASA), including president, vice president and secretary.

Results: According to results, PUTA candidate for PUASA president Dr Saeed Ahmed Nagra defeated PUAG's candidate Dr Mumtaz Ahmed Salik by securing 244 votes against 214. PUTA candidate for PUASA Secretary Dr Zaid Mehmood defeated PUAG's candidate Dr Mehar Saeed Akhtar by securing 231 votes against 226.

The posts of vice president (VP) arts and VP science were secured by PUTA candidates Iftikhar Ahmed Tarar (252 votes) and Javed Sami (266 votes) respectively. Their opponents Marghoob Hussain Tahir and Dr Nazeer Ahmed secured 207 and 191 votes respectively.

PUAG's candidate Abdul Majid Khan Rana defeated PUTA's candidate Mehboob Hussein for the post of PUASA finance secretary by securing 246 votes against 213. PUAG's candidate for Joint secretary Muhammad Sajid Dahriwal defeated PUTA's candidate Khujista Rehan by securing 227 votes against 221.

The PUAG has been winning the PUASA elections for 10 consecutive years and supports the IJT. According to Mumtaz Salik, elections promote a democratic culture and he expects the new elected body to implement merit and transparency in the varsity. Daily Times

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Scholars present research papers on Punjab at PU
Lahore: Various intellectuals presented their research papers on the second day of the international conference titled 'History, Politics and Society: The Punjab' at the Punjab University New Campus on Tuesday.

Professor Dr David Gilmartin from United States (US) presided over the first session of the conference.

First session' papers: Professor Dr LV Khokhlova from Moscow State University presented her paper on Punjabi language as the identification of Punjabi culture. She traced the development of Punjabi language in different periods of time and discussed its importance for promoting a particular Punjabi culture.

Professor Dr Tatiana Oranskaia from Hamburg University presented a paper on 'Minor Ethnic Groups in Central Asia: Castes of the Punjab'. She identified two groups of Central Asia, Juni and Parya, who were directly related to some castes of the Punjab.

Akhtar Hussain Sandhu from International Islamic University (IIU) presented his paper on 'Guru Nanak Dev and Muslim-Sikh Relations'. He emphasised Guru Nanak conveyed the message of love, peace and harmony, adding that militancy was infused in the Sikh religion by Guru Goband Sikh and Banda Bavragi.

Dr Abdul Samad Pirzada from IIU focused his paper on Historicity of Multan Convention of 1956. He discussed the differences of clerics in the early history of Islam and pointed out the convention was held to improve the image of Deobandi religious leaders who had opposed the demand for Pakistan.

Second session' papers: Professor Iftikhar Haider Malik of Bath University in United Kingdom presided over the second session of the conference.

Dr Khizer Humayun Ansari of London University presented his paper on 'Reflection on the Failure of Secular Leadership in Pre-partition in Muslim Punjab'. He said Islamic radicalism developed due to failure of alternate ideologies, especially the secular-socialist ideology. Professor Sharifal Mujahid, a Higher Education Commission distinguished scholar, present his paper on 'Punjab and the 1945-46 Elections'. He discussed the Punjab Muslim League's strategy of contesting the elections, and said Punjab's vote for Pakistan ultimately resulted in the creation of Pakistan.

Professor Tatiana Zagorodnikova from Moscow State University presented her paper on 'Maharaja Dilip Singh's Russian Connection: A Threat to the British Raj'. She discussed the Maharaja's career and said his presence in Russia created serious problems for the British in India.

Dr Saleed Ahmad presented his paper on 'Leadership in the Punjab Pre-1947'. He discussed the role and mutual relations of two prominent Muslim leaders of Punjab, namely Sir Fazli Hussain and Sir Muhammad Shafi.

The last paper of Syed Akmal Hussain Shah from IIU discussed the role of Sir Muhammad Shafi as the custodian of Muslim rights in India.Dr Massarrat Abid conducted the proceedings of the conference, which will conclude on Wednesday. Daily Times

Punjab University announced MSc Statistics result
Lahore: The Punjab University Examination Department has declared the result MSc Statistics Part-I Annual Examination 2008. According to a press statement a total of 51 candidates appeared in the exam and 27 were declared successful. Detailed result is also available at PU website www.pu.edu.pk. The News

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Students from militancy-hit Swat take refuge in Pindi
Rawalpindi: Seventeen-year-old Asad, a student of class-X, and several of his classmates are temporarily staying in Rawalpindi after fleeing Swat where Maulana Fazlullah's loyalists have threatened to blow up their school.

These students are living in a rented house near Faizabad as they prepare for their annual examinations scheduled for March.

Asad told this reporter that the administration of Swat Public School (SPS), the biggest privately-run educational institution in the valley, was warned by the militants a week ago to close the school otherwise the students would be taken hostage.

Initially, the SPS girls section in Rahimabad, some four kilometers from the main town of Mingora, was closed in the wake of the militant threat, while afterwards the boys section was also locked and educational activities grinded to a halt.

Asad said career of thousands of students in Swat was in jeopardy, as the local authorities have asked the students to leave their schools without giving them any assurance that the institutions would be reopened.

"We urge the higher authorities to play their role in reopening our schools as institutions in other cities do not admit us at this stage. Our academic career and lives are at risk in Swat," Asad said.

He said the local Taliban were distributing pamphlets in schools, warning the students to boycott the existing system of education as it was spreading secular agenda.

According to Asad, teenage girls were being asked by militants to marry supporters of Maulana Fazlullah.

"One day a group of Taliban intercepted us at recess time and asked a 14-year-old girl of our school to marry Jihadis when she turns 18," another student Fahim said, adding that when they protested, the militants aimed their guns at them and ordered to tender an apology in Arabic language.

Militant attacks on educational institutions in Swat have triggered closure of schools and the frightened students are fleeing the restive area

The students are now seeking admission to other schools, however, they are being rejected as these days the academic session is nearing its end. Dawn

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