LAHORE: (May 15): Punjab University’s deans, heads of teaching departments and professors have condemned the threats being given to some senior teachers with regard to illegally announced ‘Book Fair’ by some external elements living illegally in PU.

A resolution was also passed unanimously in this regard at a meeting held in the auditorium of PU’s Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology (IBB) here at New Campus on Thursday. The resolution was moved by Prof Dr Mughees-ud-Din Sheikh. Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran presided over the meeting, which was attended by the university’s deans, heads of departments, directors of institutes/centres and principals of constituent colleges.

The meeting unanimously declared that none of the student organization will be recognized by the PU administration as well as faculty. In response to the speech of Dr Sajid Ali, it was also decided that unless the election of student unions are held, all type of extra-curricular activities including book fair will be held with the cooperation and participation of students, who will be nominated by the heads of teaching departments on the basis of a set criteria of suitability. The proposal of Prof Hafiz Iqbal that a broad-based committee of the senior teachers be set up to help the office of the Adviser Students Affairs to organize healthy extra-curricular activities was accepted unanimously.

To deal with any situation that may arise when the PU reopens on Friday, the vice-chancellor in his remarks, said that university will be kept open now at all cost. On the request of Chairman Hall Council Prof Dr Saeed Ahmad Nagra, the meeting decided to call a special meeting of the wardens and superintendents of hostels to constitute a strategy to flush out all illegal residents from the hostels. The vice-chancellor would preside over this meeting.

Prof Dr Iftikhar Hussain Baloch, Prof Dr Saeed Ahmad Nagra, Prof Dr Mughees-ud-Din Sheikh, Prof Hafiz Muhammad Iqbal, Prof Dr Nayyar Raza Zaidi, Dr Zahid Karim Khan, Dr Mujahid Ali Mansoori, Prof Dr Khawaja Haris Rahseed, Prof Dr Niaz Ahmad and Prof Dr Mazhr Moeen also spoke on the occasion. Among the ladies, Prof Dr Rukhsana Bajwa, Prof Dr Shahida Hussnain, Prof Dr Yasmeen Farooqi also addressed the meeting. Most speakers also talked of the harassment they had faced over the past 25 years by a student organization.