With 250 security guards released in three days, Punjab University safety has come under scrutiny. The administration’s change in priorities in the face of continuous financial difficulties is shown by this decision, which was made shortly after the institution posted an advertisement seeking 250 new teachers.
Punjab University security personnel has been severely cut during the last three days, from 400 to barely 150.
Numerous of the fired staff members had worked for nine years on contract.
The sources claim that the administration decided not to extend their contracts, citing financial issues and poor management as the main causes of the layoffs.
In order to make up for the decreased staff, the 150 security employees that remain now work longer shifts—from eight to twelve hours per day.
The security personnel, who already face difficulties in maintaining campus safety, are outraged about the decision.
The administration of Punjab University has stated that it is peculiar that after the university was recently placed in the top 301 to 350 universities in emerging economies, a dispute between student organisations broke out within the span of one week.
It stated that certain components attempt to present a particular picture of Punjab University whenever its ranking rises. To provide information about the events of Friday, the university administration called an emergency news conference. Chief Security Officer Col (r) Ubaid Masood, Resident Officer 1 Col Retired Omer Khalid, PU Registrar Dr. Muhammad Khalid Khan, and other officials were present for the event.
Speaking with the media, Dr. Khalid Khan stated that at approximately 12:45 p.m., a fight broke out between Islami Jamiat Talaba and Pashtun Educational Development Movement (PEDM) members following a disagreement outside the sociology department during which activists on both sides were hurt. The university security team responded quickly to the information they received, arriving on the scene and alerting the police to the possibility of an impending student fight.
In the meantime, he added, the university was informed that some students were being beaten by PEDM and Punjabi Council activists in the vicinity of the mosque in Admin Block. He claimed that in order to prevent additional conflict between student organisations, university security personnel were on the scene in an instant and saved the students. But six security officers were hurt in an attack by Punjabi Council and PEDM militants, he claimed. He claimed that the university’s security officers tried their hardest to prevent any significant conflicts between student organisations, and they were successful.
In addition to stating that the police had received a request for the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) from 20 unidentified people and the nominations of Ansar Abbas, Shazeb Arif Warraich, Usama Butt, and Imran, he threatened to take tough measures against the students participating in the event on behalf of the university administration. The administration also denounced the students’ attacks on chief security officials and security guards.
