A memorial event was held at Bahawalpur's Government Sadiq Egerton College on Monday as classes resumed following the murder of Associate professor Khalid Hameed last week.

A memorial event is held at Bahawalpur's Government Sadiq Egerton College for slain Professor Khalid Hameed. ─ Photo by author

Prof Hameed was stabbed to death, allegedly by a third-year student, on March 20 over what the youth vaguely described as the academic's "anti-Islam" remarks following a heated exchange over the arranging of a "welcome party" at the college.

The event, which Hameed was to oversee, was scheduled to welcome new students to the college on March 21, police had said. Police sources earlier told DawnNewsTV that Hussain was averse to the event being organised because he viewed the mingling of male and female pupils at the function as "un-Islamic".

The college, which had remained closed the rest of last week, reopened today, with classes and other academic activities resuming as per schedule.

Scores of students of both genders and professors both participated in the memorial event today, some of whom were holding placards.

A protest demonstration was also staged by students at University Chowk following the memorial to demand justice and for the "hidden hands" behind the murder to be revealed.

The suspect ─ who had confessed to the professor's killing ─ was arrested last week and remanded to police custody for investigation.