Minister for Higher Education says culprits will not be spared

Punjab Higher Education Minister Syed Raza Ali Gilani has said profiles of students involved in recent violent clashes at University of Punjab had been prepared and the university disciplinary committee had the right to take action against the culprits.

The minister was addressing newsmen after his meeting with PU VC Zakaria Zakar and other senior officials of the varsity on Tuesday. According to an official hand out, the meeting took up various issues faced by the university, especially promotions of academic staff. Following the discussions, the minister formed two committees to identify impediments in way of teachers’ promotions, as well as for resolving other issues. The committees will present their findings and recommendation in two weeks.

While talking to reporters, Gilani said the purpose of meeting was to solve all the problems, adding that he had been invited by senior faculty members of PU. To a question, he said Khwaja Ahmed Hassan had been added to the committee upon his request, adding that none of the issues in Punjab University had been created by the government.

Asked about the recent clashes between rival student groups, the minister said he did not want to name any names. “I do not want to go into the details of who the main culprit was,” he said.

Gilani, who is also the pro chancellor of the PU said that students engaging in such violent activities were pardoned on admission of guilt and apologies in the past, “but this will not happen now”. “Elements resorting to violence will find no place inside Punjab University.”

The minister said the government was planning to conduct open courts in three to four universities. “If we manage to streamline the affairs and resolve issues of Punjab University, then all other universities can be corrected, as PU is the mother of all universities.