Lahore police issue arrest warrant against activist for organising student protest rally

Islamabad [Pakistan], November 28 : Lahore Police have issued arrest orders against Professor Ammar Ali Jan, an activist and president of Haqooq-i-Khalq Movement, for being a "threat to public safety" after organising Student Solidarity March demanding free education and restoration of student unions in the country.
Hundreds of activists and students from various educational institutes in the city had participated in the Student Solidarity March on Friday. However, the march organised by the Student Action Committee (SAC) later turned into a rally.
According to a report by Dawn, after the rally, Lahore Deputy Commissioner (DC) Muddassir Riaz Malik issued arrest orders against Prof Ammar Ali Jan, one of the organisers of the rally and president of Haqooq-i-Khalq Movement, under Section 16 of the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance (MPO).
"Upon the basis/ material received from Deputy Inspector General (Operations) Lahore, I am convinced that the presence of Ammar Ali Jan at any public place will pose grave threat to public safety and is likely to cause breach of public peace and public order," read the order.
It further stated: "In exercise of powers under section-3 of the MPO, Ammar Ali Jan should be arrested and detained for a period of 30 days from the date of arrest. His custody shall be placed under the Superintendent Central Jail Kot Lakhpat".
As the rally was about to conclude, a heavy police contingent arrived on the spot and after the protest, Jan and his comrades left the venue in a car, which was followed by a police vehicle, Dawn said.
He was stopped on the Main Boulevard, Gulberg, and from there the police took him to the police check post.
After negotiations with the police and assurance that he would appear in the Civil Lines Police Station within two hours, Jan and others were allowed to leave.
During the rally, Prof Jan had slammed the universities' administrations for promoting fascism on the campuses where students were not allowed to raise their voice, Dawn reported.
He said that the teachers were removed for supporting students and promoting research culture.
"We have to work for a socialist revolution and will have to snatch power to make a state for the people and of the people," he said.
Dawn further quoted him as saying that the state had launched a crackdown on the students last year for carrying out a solidarity march and they were put behind the bars.
During the rally, Progressive Students Collective spokesperson Kalsoom Fatima said that the poor students were deprived of higher education due to lack of funds and the current government, which claimed to be the representative of the youth, had cut education budgets, the Pakistani daily reported.
She further said that though the girl students were being harassed on campuses, the administration preferred not to pay heed to the problem.