PU admin seeks police help to thwart Kitab Mela
Lahore: The Punjab University administration has sought police deployment at New Campus in order to prevent the Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT) from organising its three-day Kitab Mela, 2008, scheduled to start from 13 May.
Sources in the Punjab University (PU) administration said the varsity registrar had written a letter to the capital city police officer (CCPO) and Allama Iqbal Town superintendent of police (SP) asking them to ensure police deployment in and outside the varsity's New Campus so that the student group might be prevented from organising the 'illegal' activity.
They said the varsity administration had also provided a list of book sellers and publishing houses that had expressed their intentions to participate in the book fair to the police high-ups
Sources said the registrar had also asked all the deans of faculties, directors/chairpersons/principals of institutes/centres/departments and constituent colleges to ensure that no student/teacher/faculty member participated in the unauthorised and politically motivated event.
According to the letter, of which a copy is available with The News, the event is used by the student group to raise illegal funding and making money in violation of the university rules. The letter reads, "In the light of the decision of the Punjab University Syndicate 2005 and Deans Committee decision dated 04.06.2007, the so called Kitab Mela by the IJT has been declared illegal, unlawful, unauthorised and in violation of the university rules and students discipline."
Addressing the police high-up, the letter reads, "You are, therefore, requested to kindly help ensure the deployment of a contingent of police around the university corridors, the site of planned fair, at the New Campus to ensure that the illegal event does not take place. All the gates and the entry point to the venue should be sealed and manned by police contingent. You are further requested to ensure that the university premises are completely sealed and cordoned off, so as to deny access of any bookseller, student, miscreants and material to the university premises."
"It is further requested that the book sellers and publication houses may please be instructed through police stations concerned not to participate in the unauthorised event arranged by the said student group in the Punjab University," the letter concludes.
The PU administration had to call in police in May 2006 at New Campus when the Jamiat had tried to organise its Kitab Mela. Interestingly, despite police deployment the student group had succeeded in holding the three-day event which created great unrest in the university. However, later, the varsity administration had to take disciplinary action against students involved in the event and over a dozen of them were expelled from the university. The Jamiat has already started a massive campaign for its Kitab Mela, 2008.
A press conference in this connection was also held by the IJT at PU Student Teacher Centre (STC), New Campus, on Thursday.
Speaking on the occasion, PU chapter IJT Nazim Rana Naveed, Hamd Ullah, Sabir Shah, Sajid Ch and Abdul Hafeez Tahir vowed that the event would take place on the announced dates. They said Main Corridors at PU New Campus would be the venue of the book fair adding around 110 stalls would be set up by various publishers.
They said the first two days of the fair would be for students while the third day would be for teachers and families.
They refuted the allegations of generating funds for Jamiat by arranging book fair and said the amount collected was in fact spent on arrangements of the fair.
Replying to a question, they said minimum charges for setting up a stall at the Kitab Mela were Rs 5,000. To another question, they said since the prime minister had announced restoration of student unions, therefore, there was no need to seek permission from the university administration to hold this event.
PU official spokesperson Dr Mujahid Ali Mansoori said the Jamiat's activists had not sought any permission from the PU administration to organise press conference adding that it was an unlawful act like the coming Kitab Mela.
He said the PU would take disciplinary action against the students involved in Jamiat's coming event. "We also appeal to the booksellers and publishers not to participate in the illegal activity being organised by the student group," he added.
PU Registrar Prof Dr Muhammad Naeem Khan said that he had written a letter to the police high-ups seeking police deployment at the New Campus on May 13. He said the varsity administration had not granted permission to the Jamiat owing to which the event would be illegal and unlawful.
The News
