Atif Mian
On Thursday, June 5th, the principal of Punjab Medical College, Faisalabad, expelled every student who belonged to the Ahmadi community from the college.
A total of twenty three students, fifteen female and eight male, across the five years of medical school have been expelled as a result. Further details regarding the incident can also be found in reports from the BBC and from the Daily Times.
The Ahmadi students were “accused” of preaching their religious beliefs. The principal was pressured into expelling the entire Ahmadi student body by a mob of protesters belonging to Islami Jamiat e Talaba. The mob circled the Principal’s office and demanded the expulsions. The same day, a mob of about 300 college students also barged into Ahmadi students’ rooms, beat them and threw their luggage out of their rooms.
What makes this incident especially troubling is the fact that the decision to expel Ahmadi students was taken by a government-run medical school, under full knowledge of the relevant Punjab ministries.
As an academic, and a Pakistani, I am totally appalled by this latest incidence of religious fanaticism. One hopes that the present Punjab government turns a page, and instead of supporting the forces of extremism, comes to the protection of its ordinary citizens.
Atif Mian is Associate Professor of Finance at the University of Chicago, Graduate School of Business.
I think, Pakistan’s governments owned academic institutions have been center of student based religious organizations. The example was set by groups like IJT and other factions of Jamat e islami. So if any other sect is doing it, it becomes their right.
However Government owned institutions should exercise their power to stop all religious student organizations belonging to any sect of minority. The issue is more problematic then it seems since these kinds of incidents tarnish Pakistan’s image on International canvas, since Ahmidi’s have a very strong business support with in Faisalabad region and outside Pakistan as well.
The power hungry student bodies like PSF, MSF, or any religious affiliated body should consider the consequences before their actions.
To counter as to what has happened I think it
Good article;
Stop demonising the minorities
Traditionally, the Ahmedis have been known to conceal their identity for fear of persecution in a society that is routinely fed with bias and hatred against this community by the fire-breathing clerics. When the college administration displayed the list on the notice board, it made the cardinal mistake of exposing the vulnerable students to the persecution of religious outfits, who are not averse to using violence. Such is the pressure of fundamentalist sections on state institutions that these elements literally get away with murder as a matter of routine. Even after the rustication of the Ahmedi students has been reversed, one could imagine the daily battle they will have to go through being surrounded by an extremely hostile atmosphere. Prejudice against the Ahmedi community is so deep seated in our society that if some students/teachers believe in non-discrimination and equal rights for minorities, they cannot come out openly in support for the risk of being labelled as pro-Ahmedi.
The kind of behaviour that has been meted out to them will surely have its repercussions. How can the students be expected to give a 100 percent performance in their exams, if they know that the whole system is biased against them?
http://www.thepost.com.pk/vis.aspx
“FAISALABAD, July 3: Most shopkeepers in the city district observed a shutter-down strike on Thursday to press the authorities for registration of a case against the Ahmedi students who had been rusticated from the Punjab Medical College.
The strike call was given by the Anjuman-i-Tajran city and clerics of different sects. ….”
http://www.dawn.com/2008/07/04/nat34.htm
HRCP statement on PMC Ahmedi students’ episode
Lahore, July 03, 2008: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan on Wednesday expressed its concern at the authorities’ failure to redress the grievances of the unlawfully expelled Ahmedi students of a Faisalabad college and demanded strict action against the trouble-makers.
In a statement, HRCP Co-chairman Iqbal Haider said the rustication of 23 Ahmedi students of the Punjab Medical College, Faisalabad, early last month on the ground of their belief was apparently a case of extraordinary discrimination. The HRCP, therefore, requested a senior member of its governing body to probe the matter.
This inquiry showed that while rusticating the students, the college administration did not follow the rules prescribed for this extreme action; that the committee of teachers set up to examine the victims after the event included teachers who were in the body that had taken the decision to rusticate them; and that a few students who appeared before the investigating committee were unduly harassed and intimidated. There were also indications that some members of the faculty colluded with the Ahmedi-baiting trouble-makers.
The commission is, therefore, seriously apprehensive of justice being denied to the unlawfully expelled students. It calls upon the provincial and federal governments to intervene immediately to protect the wronged students and deal firmly with hate-preachers. Dawn
http://www.interface.edu.pk/students/July-08/HRCP- statement-PMC-students.asp
unfortunately Pakistan has lost their 23 doctors. this is “””””NOT””””” a good idea to rusticate the ahhmadiyya students. their is no relegios independence in pakistan . i think this is a big loss of Pakistani nation that they have lost their 23 M BBS Doctors.
it is shameful 4 the country n principal of PMC
how we can say that pakistan is an independent country.