IJT protests???

 Violent IJT protest paralyses Lahore

ijt 

LAHORE

Violent protests paralysed Lahore for hours after police evicted activists of Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT) from Hostel No 16 of the Punjab University on Monday morning.

Around a dozen of IJT activists were picked up by the police from the hostel. In retaliation, the fellows of the arrested activists, boarding in PU Hostel No 15, pelted stones on police, teachers and employees. However, the situation was soon controlled after the varsity’s employees retaliated in the same manner.

Dozens of police jeeps lined up on the Canal Road near the PU hostels on early Monday and entered Hostel No 16 around 6:30am. Some IJT activists gathered near Govt College of Science, Wahdat Road, a stronghold of Jamiat, and protested against the police action. One armed person, allegedly belonging to IJT, was arrested from the Punjab University after the operation.

Meanwhile, addressing a press conference, PU Hall Council Chairman Dr Muhammad Akhter said girls have been shifted to Hostel No 16 after getting it vacated. He said the PU teachers, employees and students were thankful to Chief Minister for taking strong notice of the incident and not accepting any pressure. He said on Sunday, Hostel No 16 was almost vacant but some 10-15 Jamiat activists tried to occupy a few rooms; the administration sought police help and the rest of the rooms were vacated from Jamiat’s possession and police arrested some activists as well.

He said during the checking, three bottles of liquor, “bhung”, a bullet and cards were found in the room of IJT Nazim Rao Adnan, who was illegally residing there. He said while the female students were shifting to the hostel, the IJT activists hurled some stones but the female students’ determination remained unchanged. He added the hostel would cater to the needs of almost 200 female students.

Meanwhile, in a press release, IJT denied link with liquor bottles and other stuff recovered from the hostel and termed the same a conspiracy to malign Jamiat. The IJT spokesman said Jamiat was demanding construction of new hostels and new buses for the students but the PU administration had allegedly opened a new front against Jamiat. He alleged many of the activists had gone missing. He flayed Punjab Education Minister Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan for speaking against Jamiat, saying instead of issuing statements, the minister should address the problems being faced by the students.

However, the PU spokesman said if a terrorist could be arrested from the room of Nazim of Jamiat, the recovery of liquor bottles and bhung was not a big issue. He said on one side, Jamiat was demanding more buses but in fact, allegedly IJT set government and private buses on fire.

Talking to media persons, outside the Punjab Assembly, Education Minister Rana Mashhood Ahmed said police arrested some nominated people involved in manhandling and thrashing two faculty members of the PU Law College but some non-students and armed elements were instigating bona fide students to protest over this issue. He added these elements had been found linked to Taliban and had illegally occupied the PU hostels.

He said some self-proclaimed activists of a student organisation, IJT, were acting as the so-called nazims, as no student organisation could nominate its office-bearers without registration. He added over the years, the student unions were banned in Pakistan and the same law was applicable today, owing to which, activities of such organisations were illegal.

The minister said committees had been formed in public colleges and universities across the province, having the facility of hostels, to point out illegal occupants, adding the committees had been empowered to take legal action against such elements.

Rana Mashhood appealed to the parents of those students, who are stopping the academic process in Punjab University through brawl, interfering in smooth flow of traffic, snatching keys from drivers of public transport and hooliganism, not to allow their children to become tools in the hands of such elements, who are putting the educational career of young generation at stake for their vested interests.

Later, a protest by IJT activists against police crackdown paralysed traffic on the Canal Road. The situation started worsening a few hours after the sunset when scores of the IJT activists started converging at the Campus Bridge and within an hour the protest swelled considerably, leaving the traffic system collapsed within the next few minutes. Within the next few minutes, the mess stretched to adjoining areas as hundreds of vehicles finding no way moved onto the key roads.

Meanwhile, IJT activists allegedly set a bus of a private company on fire on the Wahdat Road, snatched keys of various vehicles and fled. The IJT activists allegedly attempted to stop buses near a private hospital. Some IJT activists partially damaged a bus near Dak-Khana Stop, Mughalpura. The infuriated protesters smashed the windscreen and windowpanes of the vehicle by stone-pelting. However, the protesters left the spot prior to police action.

Police sources said that Lahore police registered at least eight cases against the miscreants, two FIRs against the IJT activists under 7ATA.

Lahore police increased patrolling on roads from the University Campus to Thokar Niaz Baig. Police officers performing duty at University As per DIG Operations, at least nine mobiles had been dispatched to the troubled area, besides deploying additional force there.

Following the violent incidents, the Lahore Transport Company (LTC) CEO was forced to suspend the operation of public transport buses across the city at around 2:40 pm. This created problems for the commuters and swarms of people were seen awaiting public transport at the bus stops as they did not have information of the suspension of bus operations. The commuters condemned this behaviour.

The LTC got registered an FIR in the Muslim Town Police Station against anonymous attackers in this regard.