At least 15 students of Pakistan’s minority Hindu community were targeted by a radicalised student organisation for celebrating the Holi festival. The incident took place on Monday at Punjab university premises in Lahore.
According to PTI news agency, around 30 Hindu students had gathered to celebrate the festival of colours at the Law College of Punjab University when they were attacked.
“As students gathered at the lawns of the law college, the Islami Jamiat Tulba (IJT) activists forcibly stopped them from celebrating Holi, which led to a clash resulting in injuries to 15 Hindu students,” Kashif Brohi, a university student and an eyewitness told PTI.
He said that they had taken prior permission from the university administration.
Another student who suffered injuries, Khet Kumar, said that they were attacked again but this time by university guards when they held a demonstration outside the Vice-Chancellor’s office to protest the assault by IJT members.
“We have filed an application with the police against the IJT and the security guards involved in thrashing and torturing us, but FIR has not been registered as yet,” Kumar said.
Responding to the issue, IJT (Punjab University) spokesperson Ibrahim Shahid denied the involvement of its students.
“None of the students involved in a brawl with the Hindu students belong to the IJT,” he said and added the IJT organised ‘Quran Reading’ at the law college.
Punjab University spokesman Khurram Shahzad told PTI that the students were not given permission to celebrate Holi at the lawns of the law college.
“There would not have been any problem had the celebrations been observed indoors,” he was quoted as saying.
He said that the vice chancellor has taken note and ordered an inquiry into the matter.
(With inputs from agencies)
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