Islamists attack Hindu students for playing Holi in Pakistan

Islamists have reportedly attacked Hindu students for playing Holi at a Pakistani university.

At 15 Hindus are injured in the incident when the activists from Islami Jamiat Tulba (IJT) attacked them in Punjab University's new campus when they were playing Holi, according to an ANI report. The viral videos doing rounds on social media sites which showed that Hindu communities were being attacked by the IJT. As per the reports, the Hindu students had taken prior permission from the administration to play Holi.

An application had been filed with the police for the registration of a case against the attacker. Some other videos also showed that the security guards were carrying batons and beating the students and they were running from the scene, ANI reported citing Dawn.

The members of the Hindu community and the council had organised a Holi celebration after getting permission from the university administration, Sindh Council General Secretary Kashif Brohi said. He said the IJT activists started hurling threats after students had posted invitations for the Holi celebration on their Facebook page. He said on Monday morning the members of the Sindh Council and Hindu community gathered outside PU law College to celebrate the Holi when the IJT activists carrying guns and batons attacked them.

Brohi further added that the students later gathered to protest outside the vice chancellor's office when the security guards came there holding batons and started beating them. He said the security guards also bundled four to five students into their vans, not allowing them to record their peaceful protest, according to Dawn.

He said an application was submitted to the administration and police for case registration against the IJT activists and security guards for torturing them. However, IJT spokesperson Ibrahim Shahid told Dawn that they did not stop the Hindu community members from celebrating Holi. He further stated that the attackers might have used their name but the IJT will not.

The IJT will ensure equality for minority community members to hold their religious events. He said the security guards might have attacked the students and IJT had nothing to do with it. He said they were holding Dars-i-Quran on the campus and were not present there. A PU spokesman said action would be taken against the students involved in attacking minority community members.

Khet Kumar, who suffered injuries on his hand, said the university guards thrashed them when they held a demonstration outside the Vice-Chancellor office to protest the treatment meted out 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.

However, IJT (Punjab University) spokesperson Ibrahim Shahid denied the involvement of its students in the incident.

"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 varsity administration had not given permission to the hold Holi celebrations at the lawns of the law college. "There would not have been any problem had the celebrations were observed indoors," PTI quoted him as saying.

Shahzad added the V-C has ordered an inquiry into the matter.

With inputs from agencies