Thursday, October 3, 2013

Pakistan: More Punjab University students linked to terrorists

The Punjab University management has told the Punjab government many more students have links with terrorists and if the management had been taken into confidence they would have been arrested when one al-Qaeda operative was nabbed recently. After the arrest of al-Qaeda operative from Punjab University hostel, startling facts have come forth. The university administration has written to the Punjab government that had the police taken the university management into confidence before raiding the hostel, many other students of Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT) could have been pinpointed against whom there was information of having links with the terrorists. The documents recovered from the custody of al-Qaeda operative also include list of all the key members of IJT who have been linked with the Punjab University. University that documents recovered from the al-Qaeda operative arrested from Room No. 237 of Hostel-1 clearly show the deep links of ‘the wanted person’ with IJT. The university spokesman while talking to The News said that during the past four years, at least seventy-five FIRs had been lodged against the IJT members by the University management including car theft, illegal weapons, firing, fighting and disturbance. The Room No. 237 of Hostel-1 was allotted to one Ahmad Sajjad Rathore of Okara who was a student of Statistics Department and presented himself as Nazim IJT of the department. But, the documents reveal, upon inspection it was found that one clerk Basharat (under suspension) allotted the room to Ahmad Sajjad on fake documents. The IJT terms all such allegations as a conspiracy against it. “Had the concerned officer taken us into confidence we could have pointed out other individuals who are most likely involved in such activities. It may also be added that a study of documents/literature etc., recovered from Room No.237 clearly shows the deep links of the wanted person with IJT”, the Registrar Punjab University has written to the Higher Education Department while explaining the varsity’s stance on arrest of al-Qaeda operative from its premises. While explaining the details of the room from where the al-Qaeda operative was arrested, the PU Registrar writes: “The suspected person had been residing in Hostel No, Room No. 237, as a guest of Ahmad Sajjad a student of the College of Statistical & Actuarial Sciences. It was further revealed that Ahmad Sajjad used to claim himself as a genuine allottee of that Room (No.237), since April, 2013. Basharat, Clerk (under suspension) of Hostel No.1 was found guilty of unlawful handing over of keys of Room No. 237 to Ahmad Sajjad when the said room was vacated by Aftab, a student of School of Biological Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore. It is pertinent to note that Basharat was suspended from his duties in May 2013 due to some gross misconduct. Clerk, Basharat, (under suspension) was immediately called upon after the above said incidence of September 03, 2013 and he was directed by the Warden of Boys Hostel No.1 (Prof. Dr. Saeed Farooq) to produce the allotment form of Ahmed Sajjad; original resident of Room No. 237, but he (Basharat) came up with a fake allotment form not duly signed by either the Superintendent nor by the Hostel Warden. Despite knowing the fake nature of the testimonial Basharat insisted that the said form was original. The other three clerks who happened to be the successors of Basharat (under suspension) in a row were also interrogated thoroughly and were asked to locate/ produce genuine allotment form of Ahmad Sajjad but they failed to do so.” The spokesman of Punjab University, Khurram Shahzad, while talking to The News said that the varsity administration has information about a few IJT members who have links with the terrorist. He maintained that the al-Qaeda operative was arrested from the room of one Ahmad Sajjad against whom the university had lodged two FIRs in the recent past. The News is in possession of those FIRs. Moreover, the PU spokesman said, one Nazim of IJT Yasir Abbasi was involved in a case of car theft, which was later recovered from his custody and he has been nominated in the FIR. Khurram said that the university administration has been stopping the IJT from holding controversial functions in the university but the police helped them in conducting so. In other terms, the spokesman said, the police has been strengthening them.

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