Pakistan Rangers personnel deployed at Karachi’s reputed educational institutes to maintain law and order, are promoting “cheating” in one of the country’s biggest universities.
The paramilitary force came under fire on Saturday when University of Karachi (KU) Physics Department Professor Intekhab Ulfat alleged that a group of Rangers guarding the department where an LLB exam was being conducted, forced him to allow a student to ‘copy’ during the exam on Friday.
According to reports, Professor Ulfat had caught at least 36 LLB students, including self-claimed Pakistan People’s Party student activist Shakir Awan, ‘copying’ during the exam, which had led to a verbal clash between the professor and the student activist.
Later, Awan repeatedly threatened Ulfat, saying, “Your wife and children will be on their own within the next three months,” and urged the professor to ignore the ‘cheating’ incident.
Revealing the threats, Professor Ulfat reported said that Rangers were facilitating students to ‘copy’ during exams, alleging that some Rangers deputed at the department came to the rescue of a student who was caught ‘copying’ during the exam on Friday.
The professor alleged that the paramilitary troopers tried to pressure him to allow the student concerned to ‘copy’ and when the professor did not give in to their demands, the Rangers left, leaving the department unguarded.
Professor Ulfat did not return any of the repeated calls this reporter made to record his views on the incident.
A Rangers spokesman has termed the academician’s statement as “self serving” and said that the story of the incident, as reported by a news channel, did not have “complete facts” and was a “twisted version” of what actually happened at the varsity.
He said Rangers DG Major General Rizwan Akhtar, taking note of the incident, had ordered a “fact finding enquiry”.
“KU vice chancellor and the affected students will also be part of the enquiry,” said the spokesman.
He expressed the hope that after the revelation of facts, “proper disciplinary action” would be taken against the “self-serving professor”, adding that in case any Ranger was found to be involved in threatening anyone, he would be punished.
The paramilitary force has long been criticised for occupying the premises of Karachi’s public sector universities and colleges as the Sindh government has made no arrangements for their residence.
