Islamic activists pelt stones at participants of event with live music at Pakistan's Punjab University

Lahore: Chanting Islamic slogans, activists of a radical student organisation pelted stones at the participants of a live music event at the prestigious Punjab University here.

On Sunday evening over 180 students, both male and female, and teachers assembled at the lawns of the journalism department to attend the annual dinner when the incident took place.

"A student was giving a live performance on a song of well-known singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan with his harmonium when a group of 10 radical Islami Jamiat Tuleba (IJT) reached there and pelted stones on the participants of the event at the School of Communication Studies Punjab University," a faculty member told PTI on Monday.

He said the "IJT attackers" chanted Islamic slogans. Panic spread and the performance was stopped, he said, adding that some senior faculty members of the department stopped the "charged students" from pelting stones. The IJT activists were warning the participants against playing music or performing, saying it was "un-Islamic".

Later the varsity security personnel reached the venue and pacified the IJT sympathisers, he said.

Some faculty members blamed Punjab University Vice Chancellor Khalid Mehmood for giving a "free hand" to the IJT activists on the campus.

Punjab University spokesperson Khurrum Shahzad said the protesters belonging to a student organisation were stopped by the varsity security from entering the School of Communication Studies.

He said the protesting students were chanting slogans against live music performances. He said the High Education Commission (HEC) has banned 'live music performance" at the universities in the country.

There have been frequent incidents of beating male students by IJT activists in different educational institutions, especially at Punjab University.