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April 15, 2007
Islamists attack festival in Pakistan university

Lahore, 
A group of Islamists attacked a social festival in Pakistan's Punjab University and beat up boys, girls and the teachers protesting against "vulgarity, obscenity and immorality".

More than 70 activists of the Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT) were involved in the incident Saturday evening when the college was marking its third anniversary celebrations.

Around a dozen students and a teacher, Zeeshan Daneesh, and a guard were thrashed. Anyone who tried to stop the IJT activists was beaten up and even the girl students were not spared, the Daily Times reported Sunday.

The attackers also broke a multi-media projector, a crystal dais, windows, crockery and flowerpots, college officials said.

The IJT activists, led by Muhammad Ayub, first hijacked three of the varsity's buses from its new campus and travelled to the old campus where the event was organised.

They sabotaged the celebrations owing to its "un-Islamic" nature, the daily said.

"They entered the campus and declared war against the administration for allegedly promoting (the festival)," an official said.

The university authorities informed the nearest police station but the police reached the festival "after the activists had already wreaked havoc", the daily said.

A college official said the activists "wanted to impose their particular philosophy of Islamisation". He said no event was organised during the five-day festival that was offensive to Islam.

However, IJT's Muhammad Ayub said the festival had been attacked because a "dance party" had been scheduled for the night. He added that female students of the varsity were being "forced" to participate in it.

Punjab University vice chancellor Arshad Mahmood told Daily Times that the IJT was an illegal body that wanted to impose its particular philosophy of Islamisation over the university's students.

"The college administration will not allow any Talibanisation in this varsity," he said, adding that stern action would be taken against the attackers.

He said the police had failed to provide adequate protection to the students.

IANS | April 15, 2007

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