ISLAMABAD - The employees of Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) on Friday continued their protest against the university administration in front of Academic Block for not giving exemplary punishment to a security officer who, according to them, had beaten up his junior security guard a couple of months ago.

They alleged that a security officer Imtiaz Ahmad of grade 17 had recruited daily-wage employees of lower grade in the university who were involved in mobile snatching and robberies and other crimes and a junior security guard, Naseem, had testified the charges against the accused daily-wage employees in an inquiry. Upon which they were fired and the security officer to take revenge beat up his subordinate security guard.

An enquiry committee was formed by the university administration that confirmed that the poor guard was severely beaten up by his senior officer but instead of giving exemplary punishment, the committee just sent the senior security officer on leave and stopped his one year increment of both the employees, they informed. The employees from grade 1 to 16 and security guards protested and staged a sit-in announcing that they will not go to work until the security officer is given exemplary punishment for humiliating and beating up his junior.

"We don't believe on this form of justice that an offender and the victim have been given the same punishment. The employees will continue their protest until they decide in favour of the poor security guard," said President Employees Welfare Association President Haroon Rasheed.   

But QAU Vice Chancellor, Prof Dr Masoom Yasinzai, whose term is going to end in February next year told a different story altogether to The Nation. He said that the security guard was sleeping during duty time so his senior officer slapped him, which he should not have done. He said that both were guilty so the inquiry committee stopped the increment of both employees for beating and for sleeping during duty time.

He maintained that the issue was resolved but the employees were making a mountain out of a molehill.