Police torture on students: LHC summons Secy Education
Pakistan
Police torture on students: LHC summons Secy Education
Lahore High Court Chief Justice Ejaz Ahmed Chaudhry summoned the Education Secretary on Tuesday in a case regarding police torture on students and teachers outside the Punjab Assembly. Hearing a suo moto notice, the CJ also sought a detailed report on the private academies being run by the teachers and directed the Punjab government to make a party to teachers, who forced the students to take to streets. Additional Advocate General told the court that teachers are running their private academies in the cover of government jobs. The court said those violating the rules and regulations should be fired from jobs. During the course of hearing, Punjab government lawyer told the court that the proposed Board of Governor is meant to maintain discipline at the educational institutes and it will, in no way, result into rise in the students fee. If Board of Governors has to restore the discipline at colleges then Secretary Education is being paid for what? he questioned. In its report submitted to the court, police said that they tried to prevent the protesting students and teachers from damaging public property. Chief Justice Chaudhry remarked that police have the right to stop the protesters, not to beat them. It is pertinent to mention that on Dec 8, 2010, hundreds of angry students and teachers attacked the Punjab Assembly building, triggering violent clashes in the high-security zone, which left dozens of students and policemen injured. The protest demonstration was held to press the Punjab government to withdraw its decision to set up Board of Governors in all the educational institutes.Police sources revealed that there were less than 40 policemen on-guard to control no less than 500 protesters at Faisal Crossing, prompting angry mob to breach the security ring and attack the historic building. The students and the members of Punjab Professors and Lecturers Association (PPLA) stormed into the Punjab Assembly building and badly tortured the on-guard policemen to protest against the constitution of Board of Governors (BoGs) in 26 colleges across the province. The police picked up more than 50- students and office-bearers of PPLA and shifted them to different police lock-ups. The police also booked over 200 students and registered separate cases against them on the charges of creating lawlessness like situation, damaging public property and attacking policemen.
