JAMSHORO:
A clash between two groups of students at Sindh University during semester examinations left one student injured by gunfire and eight others wounded in violence on 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-running 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 scene 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 rods and bricks. The situation remained tense for several hours, with the university resembling a battleground.
Police rushed to the scene after being informed, upon which the students dispersed. However, shortly afterwards, some enraged students set fire to two rooms of Lal Shahbaz Boys Hostel. The blaze gutted the rooms before rescue teams managed to bring it under control.
Campus Security Officer Rafiq Brohi said that 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 organisation’s involvement, saying attempts were being made to wrongly attribute the clash to SPSF. He added that the group had always opposed weapons on campus.
