FAISALABAD, June 17: Students of Government College University Faisalabad boycotted their classes on Tuesday and staged a sit-in in front of the vice-chancellor’s office after some outsiders allegedly stabbed a student of engineering and technology department and fled while resorting to aerial firing.

A group consisting of expelled students of the university, including ringleader Ali Gujjar and Rana Aizad, Rana Haseeb, Qamar Sultan, Rana Khalid, Mian Zeeshan, Mani Taroria and Sufian Jatt, entered the university premises and stabbed Wasim Wahla and fled despite the presence of a huge security force.

Wahla was taken to Allied Hospital where he was stated to be in stable condition.

The incident panicked students as well as faculty members who took refuge in their classrooms and offices, respectively.

Later, students of different departments held a demonstration, took a round of the university’s main road while chanting slogans against the administration for its failure in keeping the on-campus security. They also torched tyres while some of their fellows allegedly misbehaved with few teachers and broke the windowpanes of their offices in Yousaf Block. The protesters also slapped a security guard for ‘favouring’ the assailants.

Gulberg DSP Sheikh Aamir reached the spot and persuaded the students to abandon their demonstration and negotiate with the administration instead.

The students later staged a sit-in in front of the VC’s office for around two hours to press the authorities to accept their demands, including of suspension from service of the security in-charge and registration of a case against the criminals and their immediate arrest.

Student leaders, including Malik Jamshed, Khurram Shujaat Malhi, told Dawn that security in-charge Ijaz Ahmed had been patronising the criminals’ gang that had subjected a number of students to torture in recent past. However, they said, the administration had been playing the role of a silent spectator instead of providing security to the students.

They said students would not take their classes on Wednesday (today) and would continue their protest till their demands were accepted.

Addressing the protesters, VC Dr Arif Ali Zaidi said the security in-charge had been suspended from service and a committee consisting of senior teachers would be formed to monitor security situation and check lapses. He said that the university’s disciplinary committee had been asked to probe into the matter.

Dr Zaidi said that nobody would be allowed to spoil the peaceful atmosphere of the campus and violators would be dealt with severely.

The police have registered a case on the complaint of stabbed student’s brother. However, no arrest has been made till the filing of this report.