LAHORE: At least 15 students from Pakistan’s minority Hindu community were injured on Monday after members of a radical Islamic student organization allegedly prevented them from celebrating Holi at the Punjab University premises here. Holi, a festival of colors, is celebrated to mark the arrival of spring.
The incident happened at the Punjab University Law School on Monday, when around 30 Hindu students gathered to celebrate Holi.
“As students gathered on the lawns of the law school, the Islami Jamiat Tulba (IJT) the militants prevented them from celebrating Holi, resulting in a clash which injured 15 Hindu students,” Kashif Brohi, a university student and eyewitness, told PTI.
They had obtained prior permission from the university administration, Brohi said.
Khet Kumar, who was injured in the hand, said university guards beat them during a demonstration outside the vice-chancellor’s office to protest treatment by IJT members.
“We filed a complaint with the police against the IJT and the security officers involved in our beatings and torture, but the FIR has not yet been registered,” Kumar said.
Contacted by the PTI, IJT (Punjab University) spokesman Ibrahim Shahid denied his students’ involvement in the incident.
“None of the students involved in a fight with the Hindu students belong to the IJT,” he said, adding that the IJT had organised’Quran Reading‘ at law school.
Punjab University Spokesperson Khurram Shahzad told PTI that the university administration had not given permission to hold Holi celebrations on the lawns of the law school.
“There would have been no problem if the celebrations had been observed indoors,” he said.
Shahzad added that the VC had ordered an investigation into the matter.
The incident happened at the Punjab University Law School on Monday, when around 30 Hindu students gathered to celebrate Holi.
“As students gathered on the lawns of the law school, the Islami Jamiat Tulba (IJT) the militants prevented them from celebrating Holi, resulting in a clash which injured 15 Hindu students,” Kashif Brohi, a university student and eyewitness, told PTI.
They had obtained prior permission from the university administration, Brohi said.
Khet Kumar, who was injured in the hand, said university guards beat them during a demonstration outside the vice-chancellor’s office to protest treatment by IJT members.
“We filed a complaint with the police against the IJT and the security officers involved in our beatings and torture, but the FIR has not yet been registered,” Kumar said.
Contacted by the PTI, IJT (Punjab University) spokesman Ibrahim Shahid denied his students’ involvement in the incident.
“None of the students involved in a fight with the Hindu students belong to the IJT,” he said, adding that the IJT had organised’Quran Reading‘ at law school.
Punjab University Spokesperson Khurram Shahzad told PTI that the university administration had not given permission to hold Holi celebrations on the lawns of the law school.
“There would have been no problem if the celebrations had been observed indoors,” he said.
Shahzad added that the VC had ordered an investigation into the matter.
