Lahore - Taking action against students involved in a violent clash on the campus last month, the Punjab University administration has expelled 17 unionists from the varsity.
The administration also rusticated six students and let a member continue his studies at the university with stern warning.
After expulsion, a person cannot get admission to any department of the university forever while rustication is just a one-year bar.
On January 22, a violent clash between Islami Jamiat Talaba supporters and Pakhtun Educational Development Movement office bearers at the Chemical Engineering Department spread terror among university students.
A university room was torched while clashing students also pelted the police with stones and damaged police vans. In March last, the IJT unleashed an attack on PEDM when the latter was holding its culture event on the university premises.
The Punjab University yesterday sacked 13 IJT members and four PEDM workers. It is said to be the first ever admin action against violent students.
The expulsion is part of first phase of disciplinary action, according to university administration, as the inquiry is still on. The disciplinary committee has also issued notices to another 30 students in the second phase of action.
The expelled students of IJT are Osama Ejaz, Muneeb Farooq, Rahat Ali, Sikandar Kakar, Muhammad Uneeb Afzal, Ahmed Zakriya, Abdul Baseer, Osama Bin Shafaat, Hidayatullah, Samiullah Khan, Zeeshan Ashraf, Mian Arsalan and Arifur Rehman. The ousted Pakhtun activists are Asfand Yar, Alamgeer Khan, Naeem Wazir, Paiuddin Khan. The 6 rusticated students included Muazam Ali Shah, Maqbool Lehri, Salman Wazir, Salman Ahmed, Waris Khan and Ashraf Khan. Warning was issued to Ahmed Khan.
Three-month probation with Rs 10,000 fine was imposed on five students – Ajab Khan, Abbas, Abdul Salam, Dolat Khan and Rehan Khan.
Two former students Bilal Ahmed and Dawood Khan, one each from both sides, were declared persona non grata. The committee has also banned entry of expelled and rusticated students. A faculty said on the condition of anonymity that undue interference of the minister into university affairs resulted in to clash among various student factions.
He said that for the first time the campus witnessed that a minister organised an open court against a former VC giving a message of clash. He said that the need was to revisit the provincial government policies on education, admissions to the students hailing from other provinces and devising of strict TORs for them.
The PU spokesman said that some of the students produced fabricated documents before disciplinary committee to avoid disciplinary action. However, they were shown evidences regarding their involvement in the incident by the committee members.
Out of 34 students who were issued notices in the first phase, only three students i.e Shahid Nawaz, Ahmed Junaid and Muaz Ahmed were exonerated since their involvement in the clash could not be established.
The PU spokesman said the committee has observed extreme cautions not to harm any student who is not involved in the incident.
He said the administration has also provided the involved students with an opportunity, as per university calendar, to file an appeal against the decision of the disciplinary committee within fifteen days to the Vice Chancellor.
On the instructions of PU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Zakria Zakar, the disciplinary committee, consisting of senior professors, has maintained high standards of justice, objectivity and fair play.
The decision in the first phase of the inquiry is based on foolproof evidences corroborated by many types of material which includes recording of surveillance cameras, eyewitnesses, documentary record etc.
Javed Iqbal