October 23, 2024
Staff Report
LAHORE
Scuffles between student organisations and security staff are not uncommon at the University of the Punjab (PU), but when students took to protesting against important issues like that of the recent mysterious death of a female student found in her hostel room, rampant sexual harassment, and a hike in fees, the clash came across as an attempt to silence the students.
In the evening of October 22, roughly 30 students and 10 security guards were reported injured during a clash at the ‘Students Rights March’ organised by the Punjab University Student Federation (PUSF) at PU New Campus.
The demonstration, which included representatives from Pashtun, Baloch, Saraiki, and Punjabi student organizations, aimed to address several pressing issues that the students were concerned about. They spoke about the recent price hike in tuition fees, frequent cases of sexual harassment in educational institutions, and investigations into the recent death of a female student who was found hanging in a university hostel.
Tensions escalated when security guards attempted to disperse the crowd and confiscated a microphone from Arif Kakar, former Chairman of the Pashtun Council, while he was delivering a speech during the rally. Eyewitness accounts and video footage shared on social media show the university’s security personnel confronting the demonstrators, sparking the clash.
بنجاب یونیورسٹی میں آج پی یو ایس ایف کی جانب سے کیئے جانے والے طلباء حقوق مارچ کے شرکا پر پنجاب یونیورسٹی کی انتظامیہ کی طرف سے کیئے جانے والے تشدد اور بربریت کی ہم بھرپور الفاظ میں مذمت کرتے ہیں اور بنجاب یونیورسٹی کے طلباء کے ساتھ اظہار یکجہتی کرتے ہوئے۔۔۔#punjabuniversity #pu pic.twitter.com/H27RvTz8VL
— Progressive Students’ Collective (@PSCollective_) October 22, 2024
‘Premeditated assault on a peaceful protest’
Speaking to Voicepk, Kakar stated that the participants of the March were peacefully demonstrating when PU’s security guards mounted an assault on them with wooden clubs. He asserted that video footage of the incident shows security orchestrating a premeditated assault on the peaceful protesters.
“In my speech, I merely questioned the security measures on campus,” he remarked. “Where does their security disappear when female students are being harassed? They blame students for involvement in drug abuse, and yet is there any transparent investigation into the issue?”
Kakar called on the administration to clarify the standard operating procedures for security guards, and to take action against those responsible for the mistreatment of students.
University’s stance
In an exclusive statement to Voicepk, Khurram Shahzad, PU’s Public Relations Officer, explained that the university’s security personnel did not attack the students; rather, they attempted to confiscate a microphone to prevent incitement to violence.
“The head of the student organization was immediately informed about provocative speeches being made at the March, but he did not intervene. Hate speech is not permitted in any civilized society,” Shahzad stated, underscoring PU’s commitment to maintaining a safe and respectful environment for all students.
He also revealed that the university administration has constituted an internal committee, overseen by Pro-Vice Chancellor Dr. Khalid Mahmood and four deans. The committee has been tasked with investigating the incident and is expected to present its findings within three days.
PU Vice Chancellor Dr. Muhammad Ali has also pledged to ensure a transparent investigation, while the Punjab Government has established a four-member fact-finding committee, chaired by Dr. Qaiser Abbas, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sargodha, to investigate the October 22 altercation.