The brutal murder of 23-year-old student of Abdul Wali Khan University, Mashal Khan has once again highlighted the growing menace of extremism we face today. Mashal was killed and another student was seriously injured by a vigilante mob for allegations of blasphemy. The incident occurred within the university premises.
Last month, at least five people were injured as students from the Islami Jamiat Taleba (IJT) allegedly gatecrashed a Pakhtun cultural event being held at Punjab University (PU), Lahore, police sources said. IJT members allegedly tried to halt the proceedings, which resulted in a clash between students at the university. Following the clash, police reached the campus and used tear gas to disperse the violent crowd.
Last week, personnel of law enforcement agencies (LEAs) killed a suspected militant in an encounter in the Factory Area on Friday night and arrested his wife and an accomplice. The Inter-Services Public Relations said the slain terrorist and his accomplices were planning an attack on an Easter-related ceremony in the city. A couple of days later in a press conference it was revealed by Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor that the arrested woman was Naureen Laghari, a medical student who went missing from Hyderabad in February and reportedly moved to Syria to join Daesh. In her video confession the student admitted that she went to Lahore on her own and no one kidnapped her. She further admitted that she was supposed to carry a terrorist attack (a suicide bombing) in Lahore on Easter.
The three incidents particularly that of Mashal’s murder have highlighted the growing extremism in our society. The religiously motivated incidents occur primarily because people misuse religion and use it to settle their own personal scores. What is frightening is that these extremist incidents are happening in our universities that are supposed to be a place for enlightenment and learning.
Involvement of varsity students in criminal activities, terrorism and brutal killing that even puts to shame the acts of feared terrorist organization Daesh is a harrowing matter for our country.
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