Islamabad: While minorities continue to langish in fear in Pakistan, gunshots were fired along with ‘Allah-hu-Akbar’ slogans by members of a radical Islamic student organisation as they attacked students from the minority Hindu community to stop them from celebrating Holi on the premises of the new campus of Punjab University in Lahore. The celebrations were going on after due permission from the varsity administration. At least 15 students from the Hindu community were injured in the incident on Monday. In videos going viral on social media, gunshots can be heard along with chants of ‘Allah-hu-Akbar’.
Islamist Pakistan!
— Zafar Sahito (@widhyarthi) March 6, 2023
Gun fires, slogans of Allah-O-Akbar, attack on Holi celebrations event in Islamabad by Islamist radicals.
Holi is a pure cultural day, a festival of colors, joy & love but in Islamic republic of Pakistan a country created on ideology of Islam. @UNDPPA
1/3 pic.twitter.com/LLSN5gbtbn
According to Dawn, Islami Jamiat Tulba (IJT) activists attacked the students at the Law College of Punjab University, when around 30 Hindu students gathered to celebrate Holi.
Fascism in full swing in #Pakistan as Jamiat's goons attack 15 Hindu students for celebrating Holi. The next time we criticise Modi and raise a voice for Muslims in India, let's take a long, hard look in the mirror and realise that we are exactly what we hate. #Holi pic.twitter.com/VEXXIACe1e
— Hamza Azhar Salam (@HamzaAzhrSalam) March 7, 2023
What happened? As students gathered at the lawns of the law college, IJT activists forcibly stopped them from celebrating Holi, which led to a clash resulting in injuries to 15 Hindu students, Kashif Brohi, a university student and an eyewitness told PTI. Brohi said the students took prior permission from the university administration for the celebration. 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. ‘Quran Reading’ Ibrahim Shahid, spokesperson of IJT (Punjab University) has denied the involvement of its students in the incident. He said that none of the students involved in a brawl with the Hindu students belongs to the IJT. He further claimed that 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 hold Holi celebrations at the lawns of the law college. There would not have been any problem had the celebrations were observed indoors, he said. Shahzad added the V-C has ordered inquiry into the matter. Holi, a festival of colours, is celebrated to mark the onset of spring. (With inputs from PTI) Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.