Two injured as students clash in Islamia College University

PESHAWAR: Two students sustained injuries in a clash between Pakhtun Students Federation and Khalil Students Organisation in the historic Islamia College University on Friday.

Some of the students later blocked the main Jamrud Road to press the administration to take action against their rival group. However, the police arrested some of the protesting students to clear the road. The Islamia College University has been passing through serious issues after the governor ordered an action against its vice-chancellor.

According to sources, the root-cause of the incident was non-payment for food in the university canteen by some office-bearers of the Pakhtun Students Federation. It has been a common practice in the university canteens that office-bearers of some of the students' federations don’t pay for their food.

However, the Islamia College University recently gave the contract of a canteen to a local contractor. On Friday when he demanded some office-bearers of the federation to pay for their food, they started beating him instead of clearing their bills. The canteen’s caretaker belonged to the famous Khalil tribe in the provincial capital. The students hailing from the tribe, who have formed a separate federation in the name of their tribe – Khalil Student Federation – came to the support of the canteen owner. Some of the students also fired shots into the air. During the scuffle, two students sustained injuries and were shifted to the hospital.