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| India-Pakistan |
| Several hurt in UoP clash over Valentine's Day celebrations |
| 2014-02-16 |
| [DAWN] Several students were maimed after armed clash broke out between two rival groups at the University of Beautiful Downtown Peshawar ...capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province), administrative and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, convenient to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistan's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities, which means lots of gunfire. on Friday over the Valentine's Day celebrations. A source in the university administration said a student activist of Islami Jamaat Tulaba ...the student wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami... had suffered bullet wounds, while 13 others got minor injuries due to use of batons, iron rods and stones in the clash. According to him, IJT, the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami ... The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an independentbranch there since 1975. It maintains close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. the Taliban, and al-Qaeda. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores... , had announced to observe the Valentine's Day as 'Haya (Modesty) Day' and therefore, its activists gathered outside the Academic Block of the university in the morning. In the meantime, workers of Pakhtun Students Federation turned up in a Valentine's Day procession stirring up emotions on both sides. In a little while, the provoked activists of the two groups began pelting each other with stones besides using batons, iron rods and stones. The administration called in the campus police to control the situation. In a bid to disperse crowd, coppers fired gunshots in the air and baton charged students. However, a good lie finds more believers than a bad truth... things worsened as some students used arms against rivals and torched some rooms in the AB Block of the Abdul Wali Khan and Khushhal Khan Khattak Hostel. The arson attack burned down blankets, books and beds in the rooms. The violent students also targeted police by throwing stones on them. The place turned into a virtual battlefield between the two groups forcing other students, especially girls, to run for cover. Bilal Ahmad Faizi, a front man for Rescue Services 1122, said the service sent several firefighters to the campus shortly after learning about the fire from the university administration over the telephone and doused the galloping flames after a hectic effort of around 45 minutes. Akhtar Amin, front man for the university, said the administration had formed a four-member committee headed by Professor Merajul Islam to investigate the incident. He said the committee would record statements of the relevant people, including students, and submit a report to the administration. An official of the campus police said six people had been named for the campus violence and they all were on the lam. "We have started the paperwork but haven't done much else against the suspects under sections 324, 148 and 149 of Pakistain Penal Code and are planning to raid their possible hideouts in the city," he said. The official said the injured student, Rizwanullah, had named six activists of PkSF in the FIR, while the university administration had sought registration of a separate FIR against both student groups. During the violence, the injured student, who is enrolled in the fourth semester of the Bio-Technology Department, was taken to the Khyber Teaching Hospital, who he was admitted to the orthopedic ward. A source in the hospital said the student had suffered bullet injury on the arm elbow but his condition was out of danger. Meanwhile, ...back at the saw mill, Scarface Al had tied Little Nell to the log and was about to turn on the buzz saw... PkSF provincial chairman Imtiaz Wazir and campus unit chairman Muqarb Khan Buneri alleged in a joint statement that IJT activists had attacked the PkSF workers and torched their hostel rooms. They criticised the university administration for not taking action against IJT over violence. The PkSF leaders said their group had nothing to do with the firing incident and that the student was injured in a 'one-sided firing.' However, a good lie finds more believers than a bad truth... IJT leader Mohammad Nawaz Khan rejected the PkSF's claim and insisted the IJT procession to observe 'Haya Day' was almost over when the PkSF workers began hooting participants besides pelting them with stones. "IJT celebrated the Haya Day like other parts of the country and had nothing to do with the Valentine's Day celebrations. However, a good lie finds more believers than a bad truth... the PkSF workers opened indiscriminate fire on our peaceful procession injuring one of our activists," he said. |
| Posted by:Fred |