As many as 13 students of the government postgraduate Viqar-un-Nisa College were injured and three others got unconscious as fear and panic gripped the area following an incident of firing near the institute between police and auto thieves on Wednesday.
According to detail, police opened fire while chasing auto thieves that panicked passers-by and students of Viqar-un-Nisa College. The firing left the students terrified as they suspected that heavy armed militants stormed in to the college. Following the information, the security guard of the college buzzed emergency alarm and the students who at that time were attending their classes started running towards exit gate located near Hockey ground. As a result, 13 students had sustained injuries and three others got fainted. The administration of Viqar-un-Nisa Noon School, an adjacent institution, also evacuated following news of the terrorist attack.
CPO Israr Ahmed Khan Abbasi talking to media persons said that a car was lifted from outside clinic of Brigadier Iftikhar's clinic (located opposite CPO Houses). He said that police reached Ammar Chowk on information that car was parked there. "A three-member gang after seeing police started running towards Tipu Road," he said adding that an exchange of fire occurred between police and car jackers near college on which the security guard buzzed emergency alarm. This created panic and parents started thronging towards the college. Police could not arrest the gang owing to dealing with public rush and evacuation of the college, he said.
Heavy contingent of police and Pakistan army rushed to the college soon after the firing. Police and personnel of Pakistan army conducted search operation in the area but they made no arrest. After sweeping the whole college, the LEAs declared the call of terrorist entry into the college as hoax. The misinformation had thrown the entire city into the state of fear as several others educational institutions were closed and security was beefed up to avoid any possible terror attack. Air surveillance of the city was conducted. Parents of students and areas people rushed to the main gate of the college with majority of them to entering in the college to search for their daughters and sisters.