Universities must be safe and free of weapons

October 11, 2026

A student dispute outside the main gate of MUST University near Nag Shah Chowk on Muzaffargarh Road turned deadly on Friday, leaving one young man dead and two others seriously injured. The tragic incident raises serious questions about campus security, the spread of violence among students and the presence of weapons around educational institutions.

The deceased, 22-year-old Anas Malik, was taken to Nishtar Hospital in Multan, where he died shortly after reaching the facility. The injured, Muhammad Waris Khokhar, 20, and Ali Akbar, 19, remain under medical treatment. Waris suffered a critical head injury, while Ali, a law student, received a gunshot wound to the abdomen.

According to police sources, the violence followed a verbal dispute earlier in the day between the victims and Rana Umar Saghir, a 22-year-old Cyber Security student at MUST University. The head of the university’s IT department, Dr Ismail, reportedly intervened on campus to settle the dispute. However, the hostility continued.

Police sources said Rana Umar later returned to the university’s main entrance with 10 to 15 associates. The confrontation reportedly escalated into indiscriminate firing. Police have launched a search operation to arrest the suspects.

The incident reminds that disagreements among students can have devastating consequences when anger, group rivalries and weapons enter the picture. A university should be a place for learning, debate and the peaceful resolution of differences, not a battleground where young people risk their lives.

University administrations must take campus security seriously and work closely with law enforcement agencies to prevent armed individuals from entering educational premises. Security arrangements should cover entrances and surrounding areas, while credible complaints of threats and student rivalries must be addressed before they escalate into violence.

Equally important is the need to promote an arms-free culture in and around educational institutions. Carrying or displaying weapons must never become a way to settle personal disputes or demonstrate power. Authorities should enforce the law against those found carrying or using illegal weapons, regardless of their social or political influence.

Parents send their children to universities to build their futures, not to face gunfire. The government, police and university administrations must ensure that educational institutions remain safe spaces.