Pak varsity professor held for Islamist links

Counter-terrorism & intelligence officials raided the house of Ghalib Ata of Punjab University's Institute of Administrative Sciences

A university professor in Pakistan's Punjab province has been arrested for his links with a banned Islamist group.

Counter-terrorism and intelligence officials raided the house of Ghalib Ata of Punjab University's Institute of Administrative Sciences, in Allama Iqbal Town locality yesterday and took him into custody for "actively taking part in the activities of Hizbut Tahrir".

Ata's arrest comes over a week after the arrest of Karachi chief of the Hizbut Tahrir, Hisam Qamar.

"Mr Ata has been arrested for preaching the ideology of the Hizbut Tahrir which wants establishment of a Caliphate in the country," a security official told PTI.

He said the suspect has been detained at an unidentified place for interrogation.

"Dr Ata will be quizzed for disclosing the names of his 'colleagues' working in Hizbut Tahrir in Punjab province," the official said.

The colleagues of Ata in Punjab University say that the once liberal man got radicalised after attending some sessions of Tableeghi Jamaat at Raiwind in Lahore.

"Clean-shaven Ata grew a beard after joining Tableeghi Jamaat a few years ago. Later, he joined the banned outfit and openly preached its ideology on the campus," a university official said.

The varsity administration also received a complaint from a student of the Institute of Administrative Sciences that Ata tried to brainwash him.

"He talked against democracy and preached me not to vote in elections as it is un-Islamic and persuaded me to join his organisation," the student said.