Panic at PU as students, guards scuffle

LAHORE: SECURITY guards and participants of a sit-in at Punjab University scuffled with each other in a bid to stop students from sit-in which is not allowed on the university premises.

The students alleged that Punjab University VC had failed to maintain the peaceful environment of the university. The guards approached the students and told that the sit-in was not allowed. The students refused to end protest on which guards started forcing students. It led to manhandling between students and guards. The incident created panic among male and female students. Punjab University spokesman Khurram Shahzad said the law and order created by some miscreants was a plot to tarnish the university’s image at specific times.

Clarifying his statement, he said that as PU improved 39 times in QS ranking, a minor brawl between two student organisations erupted in March this year; however, it was projected at large scale through a mobile video to fan propaganda regarding law and order on campus. Moreover, he said, on June 24, a world-class publisher of high impact scientific and medical information established in 1869, ranked Punjab University No 1 in natural sciences research in Pakistan.

However, he said, just after two days there was a quarrel between two student organisations aimed at tarnishing repute of the university. He said that on September 13, Times Higher Education for the first time had ranked Punjab University among top universities of the world.

He said that on September 24, the role of Punjab University was being acknowledged and appreciated on national affairs during Kashmir conference in which AJK PM and national political and religious leadership participated.

However, he said, a little far from the venue of the conference, three students quarrelled over a minor issue which led to a fight between two organisations to fan negative propaganda against the university. The spokesman said that the timing of the recent incidents was enough to prove that some hidden hands were behind these incidents. He said that a small incident took place at some corner of the university; however, some powers project it as the law and order had worsened on the campus. However, the ground reality is different to the false propaganda, he added.