Students join protests

LAHORE: About 500 Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) students dressed in black rallied on the campus against the enforcement of emergency and arrest of their teachers. The teachers were arrested during a meeting of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan on November 4. Those arrested included Dr Ali Cheema, Bilal Hassan Minto (LUMS), Saleema Hashmi (BNU School of Visual Arts dean), Nasreen Shah and Samina Rehman (Lahore Grammar School). LUMS teachers and students spoke on the occasion. They also shouted anti-Musharraf slogans. About 35 Law Department students also participated in the lawyers protest on The Mall. Some students alleged that a television channel tried to cover the protest on the campus, but was refused entry by the LUMS administration. LUMS teacher Dr Rasool Bux Rais told Daily Times that the students had organised a peaceful demonstration against the imposition of “martial law”. “Some faculty members also joined the students,” he said, “We are against the steps taken by the government to put curbs on human rights and the media.” Dr Faisal Bari, another LUMS teacher, said the students had planned to start a signatory campaign against the imposition of emergency. He said the faculty members would join them in the campaign. BNU Journalism Department head Dr Mehdi Hassan called the imposition of emergency as an attack on freedom and civil society. adnan lodhi