Students, teachers protest against Sargodha AC

LAHORE: A large number of lecturers, students and members of civil society on Friday staged a protest in Kot Momin, Sargodha, to condemn misuse of authority by an Assistant Commissioner.

Assistant Commissioner Iffat-un-Nisa visited an examination centre in the Government Boys Degree College, Kot Momin, and humiliated a journalism lecturer Hafiz Azhar Sherazi.

Eye witnesses told The News that the examination centre was established for the students of FA and BA while the AC was only authorised to check examination centre for FA students. However, the AC inspected both the centres. Later, the AC went to the office of the principal Tahir Abbas, sat on the chair of the principal and asked the peon to bring attendance register of lecturers and the principal. The peon informed this to journalism lecturer Hafiz Azhar Sherazi, who went to the principal office. There the AC asked the lecturer to bring the attendance register of the college principal.

The lecturer told the AC that there was no register for college principal’s attendance as only the physical presence of the principal was necessary.

Moreover, the lecturer asked the AC that she was sitting in the chair of the principal which was against the college decorum and beyond the authority of the AC. On the response of the lecturer, the AC got furious and asked his staff to call the police.

The local police rushed to the college on the order of the AC and took the lecturer with them and kept him in custody for many hours.

However, the lecturer was released on the intervention of local legislators and due to pressure of a huge gathering of lecturers and students outside the Kot Momin police station.

Later, a large number of students, lecturers and members of Punjab Professors and Lectures Association staged a protest outside the residence of the AC, demanding her transfer and departmental inquiry against her.