Students affiliated with the Islami Jamiat Tulba (IJT) allegedly attacked a group of students celebrating Holi with permission from the administration at Punjab University’s (PU) new campus on Monday.
The attack resulted in at least 15 students from the Hindu community sustaining injuries. Videos of the incident were widely circulated on social media, showing members of the Hindu community being assaulted.
According to PU’s Sindh’s Students Council’s General Secretary Kashif Brohi, the Hindu community and the council had organized the Holi celebration with permission from the university administration, but IJT activists began issuing threats after students posted an invitation to the event on their Facebook page.
On the day of the event, the IJT activists, armed with guns and batons, attacked the students gathered outside the PU Law College to celebrate.
Brohi stated that 15 students from the Hindu community and Sindh Council were injured during the clash and were unable to celebrate the event.
The students later protested outside the Vice Chancellor’s office, where security guards attacked them with batons and bundled four to five students into vans, preventing them from recording their peaceful protest.
The Sindh Council and Hindu community filed an application with the administration and police to register a case against the IJT activists and security guards for torturing them.
On the other hand, IJT spokesperson Ibrahim Shahid denied that the group prevented the Hindu community from celebrating Holi and stated that the attackers may have used their name without authorization.
He further added that IJT was committed to ensuring that members of minority communities have equal rights to hold religious events. Shahid also said that IJT was holding Dars-i-Quran on the campus and was not present during the attack.
A PU spokesperson stated that the administration will take action against the students involved in attacking minority community members.
He clarified that while the administration had allowed the Hindu community to observe Holi in a hall, they were conducting the activity in the open.
The spokesman denied that the security staff had attacked the students but stated that they were attempting to stop the youngsters from approaching the VC office.
The spokesperson added that the students suffered minor injuries and that disciplinary action will be taken against those involved in the clash.
Via: Dawn
Why do you need to celebrate primitive beliefs in universities?
Please keep these shenanigans in the name of celebrations out of campus and in private