JI condemns allegations against its student wing

LAHORE : Jamaat e Islami Information Secretary Amir ul Azeem has condemned the allegations of ethnic and lingual bias against the party’s students wing Islami Jamiat e Talaba (IJT) during a debate in Senate in connection with recent students’ clash at Punjab University and demanded formation of a full-house committee of Senate to investigate the recent events at PU.

Addressing a press conference at Lahore Press Club on Saturday along with IJT leadership, he said fanning ethnic biases by the members of the Upper House of the Parliament was tantamount to playing with national unity and solidarity.

He said the discussion in Senate about Punjab University affairs was biased and far from the facts. He said, "Balochistan Home Minister Sarfraz Bugti’s bid to seek concession for the miscreants through the Punjab education minister and PU vice-chancellor was a matter of concern."

Amirul Azeem said the Senate Committee should include Aitzaz Ahsan and Usman Kakar and it should visit the PU and conduct an impartial probe into the recent events.

He assured full cooperation of the IJT to the committee. He said if the government pressure came to an end, the campus situation would return to normalcy.

Amirul Azeem explained that on January 22, under a well-thought-out plan some outsiders were brought to the varsity to sabotage IJT programme which he was about to inaugurate, but it had to be canceled after the trouble. He said Punjab University had borne much oppression and tyranny in the past and IJT had tolerated all this under a strategy.

However, he said, this would not be allowed anymore. He said the elements who wanted to defame IJT had failed.

He demanded that mischief makers must be handed down deterrent punishment so that nobody could dare disturb campus peace in future.

He said the minister for higher education reached the campus with his force which hurt the image of the varsity. He said the former VC Mujahhid Kamran had ruined the varsity atmosphere through dictatorial approach. He said Kamran’s successor tried to put the things in order but was not allowed to work due to which he had to resign under pressure.

Foreign policy apparatus flayed: Jamaat e Islami Secretary General Liaqat Baloch has said the absence of the Kashmir issue in the Indonesian president’s address to Parliament proved utter failure of Pakistan’s foreign policy apparatus.

Addressing the JI Political Committee meeting at Mansoora on Saturday, he said Indonesia and Pakistan had a long history of friendship and entire nation was upset that the visiting president did not make a direct reference to the Kashmir issue undermining Pakistan’s security for over seven decades.

He said the JI had initiated protest against Indian brutalities in Held-Kashmir with the recent meeting with Hurriyat leaders at Mansoora. He said Kashmir Solidarity Day would be observed on February 5 with enthusiasm all over the country and would include seminars, rallies, walks, and APCs at the district and provincial level.