Tough steps fail to thwart Jamiat activities at Punjab University

Lahore: Despite tough steps taken by the Punjab University administration to undo the decades-old hegemony of the Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT) - the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) - on campus, most of the University hostels are still the centre of Jamiat activities.

The IJT activists use hostels as a place for preaching and are constantly inviting students to attend lectures and sermons on jihad and a pious life.

Posters and stickers saying, 'Quran or Sunnah Ki Dawat Ley Kar Utho Aur Chha Jao (dominate the world by teaching the Quran and the Sunnah)', 'O Allah, bestow a pious life and martyrdom upon me', 'Allah loves two drops in His way: tear shed in His fear and a drop of blood shed in His way' and 'Jihad - the Highway to Heaven' adorn the walls, notice boards and dormitory doors.

The IJT nazims or administrators act as the custodians of the PU hostels and look over the IJT's agenda of targeting students. The nazims are mostly supported by hostel superintendents and wardens, most of whom are known IJT sympathisers.

The nazims try to target every new batch of students and enforce IJT's extreme ideology. Besides attracting new students into its fold, the IJT conducts special lectures, forums, discussions and training camps at the hostels. Such activities are arranged on the campus. The IJT is known to help the Hizbul Mujahideen (JI's militant wing) arrange lectures at the PU hostels.

"Yes, we support Islam and jihad and preach it too," said one of the IJT hostel representatives. "Our mission is to call students to Islam and help them stay away from anti-Islamic thoughts and deeds." He said the response of most students to IJT's call was encouraging.

The PU Registrar Dr Mohammad Naeem Khan said, "IJT might have secretly put up some stickers and posters."