Punjab University hostels unrest
Unrest prevails at PU hostels
Lahore, July 07, 2008: The presence of expelled and rusticated activists of Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT)
at the Punjab University (PU) hostels has been a matter of great concern for the
university students and teachers.
Most of the activists were expelled or
rusticated for beating students up, while others for organizing illegal
activities on the campus and inside the hostels without permission from the PU
administration. However, such elements continue to enjoy boarding facilities, in
connivance with the hostel superintendents and wardens, creating troubles,
especially for the boarding students belonging to other student organisations.
The activists are not only a permanent nuisance for the boarding
students, but also for the university administration which receives frequent
complaints regarding their illegal activities.
Last week, some JIT
activists including Suleman, Allah Rakha and Muhammad Ramzan thrashed a student
Ghulam Hussain who is an activist of a newly formed student organisation, the
University Students Federation (USF), at Hostel No 2. The matter was brought to
the notice of the administration but no action has been taken so far. The USF
has been criticizing the administration for not taking any action against the
Jamiat activists illegally residing at the varsity hostels.
Ahsan
Chaudhry, a USF activist, said that IJT activist Sabir Shah, who is an
illegal boarder at the varsity's Hostel No 15, threatened to hurt him. He said a
number of other Jamiat activists, like Sabir, expelled or rusticated by the
administration were illegally residing at the hostels, "It is strange that the
administration is not taking any action", he added.
It is important to
mention here that a number of rallies were taken out by students against the
Jamiat for its involvement in Imran Khan's arrest from the PU New Campus in
November last year. Later, a number of students complained about threatening
calls and messages they received from the IJT activists for taking part in the
anti-Jamiat rallies.
A number of developments took place afterwards in
which the PU administration, under the leadership of the varsity's
vice-chancellor, closed down almost all the IJT offices from the university's
campus. However, no action was taken against the Jamiat at the hostels where it
has had its offices for the last many.
A PU
official, seeking anonymity, said many FIRs had been registered against some of
the expelled Jamiat activists, but police failed to arrest them. He said the
non-cooperation of police was causing a lot of problems for the administration,
adding, "Even some teachers are receiving threatening calls from the Jamiat
activists".
It is noteworthy that the non-cooperation of the police was
also highlighted in a high level meeting chaired by the then Chancellor Lt Gen
(r) Khalid Maqbool a couple of months ago.
Another senior official said
a grand operation would be launched soon against the Jamiat activists bordering
illegally at the hostels. He said the only hurdle in carrying out the action was
the on going examinations. "We do not want any disturbance at the campus when
the exams are underway", he said, adding "the Jamiat offices at the PU hostels
would also be closed down." The News
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200 PU Employees regularised
Lahore: The Punjab University has regularised the services of
more than 200 employees working on daily wages. These employees have been
serving the university for the last two or more years.
Following the
Punjab government's rules, the university issued appointment letters to these
employees at a ceremony presided over by PU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid
Kamran at the Environmental Law Centre auditorium on Saturday.
As many as
35 watchmen, 29 sanitary workers, 27 naib qasids, 15 library attendants, 14 lab
attendants, 10 farash and six helpers are among those who have been
regularised.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof Kamran said the services of
these employees had been regularised to end confusion and uncertainty in their
minds and motivate them to work with dedication. After the regularisation of the
clerical staff. Dawn
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