Islami Jamiat Tulba (IJT) activists on Monday attacked a gathering of students at Punjab University (PU) new campus while they were celebrating Holi with the permission of the varsity administration.
The violent attack by IJT activists left at least 15 members of the Hindu community injured. An application had been filed with the police for the registration of a case.
A number of videos circulating on social media showed that the Hindu community students were being lashed for conducting Holi event on campus.
Later, the Hindu community students gathered to stage a protest outside the Punjab University vice chancellor’s office when the security guards came there holding batons and started beating them.
In other footage, the security guards could be seen striking the students with their batons while the students fled the scene.
The Hindu community organized a Holi celebration after getting approval from the university administration. The IJT activists started hurling threats after students posted invitations to the event on their social media pages.
Meanwhile, IJT spokesperson Ibrahim Shahid denies their involvement in the attack.
A Punjab University spokesman said action would be taken against the students involved in attacking minority community members.
He added that although the administration had given the members of the Hindu community permission to celebrate Holi in a hall, they were actually doing it in the open when the security personnel arrived to stop them.
According to him, the students only sustained minor wounds, and those responsible for the altercation would face disciplinary action.
‘Miscreants must be nabbed’
Meanwhile, general secretary of PPP central Punjab, Syed Hassan Murtaza condemned the attack, saying the growing religious intolerance within the society is indeed trend.
He demanded the government to take strict action against the miscreants behind the attack.
Murtaza – also a former provincial minister – said PPP expresses solidarity with its brothers belonging to the minority community and it respects their religious beliefs.
He observed that such incidents send out a bad image of Islam and Pakistan to the world. “Islam is a religion of love and equality,” he maintained.
The PPP leader went on to add that the respect that Islam accords to the minorities is hardly seen in any other religion.
