JAMSHORO:
A clash between two groups of Sindh University students during semester examinations left one student injured by gunfire and eight others injured in violence on the campus on Saturday.
According to university sources, the confrontation broke out when students from rival groups came out after appearing in their exams and exchanged heated words, which quickly escalated into a violent clash outside the arts faculty.
The dispute is said to be the result of a long-standing rivalry between the groups.
During the clash, aerial firing was also reported, creating panic in nearby areas and university hostels. A stray bullet hit a third-year BBA student, Azhar Shah, who had reached the spot after hearing about the altercation. He was shifted to Liaquat Medical University Hospital, Jamshoro, for treatment.
Meanwhile, eight other students sustained minor injuries as both groups attacked each other with sticks, iron bars and bricks. The situation remained tense for several hours, with the university resembling a battlefield.
The police rushed to the spot after being informed, after which the students dispersed. But soon after some enraged students set fire to two rooms of Lal Shahbaz Boys Hostel. The fire obliterated the rooms before rescue teams could bring it under control.
Campus Security Officer Rafiq Brohi said a case would be registered at Jamshoro police station against those involved in the clash.
Sources claimed that the incident involved two factions of the Sindh Peoples Students Federation (SPSF), allegedly supported by some nationalist students.
However, SPSF Sindh University president Halar Jamali in a video statement condemned the incident and denied the organization’s involvement, saying attempts were made to falsely attribute the clash to the SPSF. He added that the group had always opposed guns on campus.
