Back-to-back cases of harassment at the prestigious Quaid-i-Azam University have brought a bad name to the institution, but the university administration is dragging its feet on inquiries against the officials concerned. The first case surfaced on June 17 in which the university examination controller allegedly sexually harassed a female student.
The university had just begun the inquiry against the accused examination controller when five female students from the Information Technology Department accused a lecturer of intimidating them. The students brought the matter to the vice chancellor’s notice by writing an application. The VC sent the matter to the same committee which is still searching for clues to the first incident. “Had the VC taken proper action against the controller and reprimanded the members of the inquiry committee for a delay in completion of the inquiry report, the new incident might not have occurred,” said noted human rights activist and QAU lecturer Dr Farzana Bari.
In their application, the students alleged that their lecturer has been threatening that if the female students do not co-operate with him in his inappropriate sexual demands, then he would fail them. The students wrote in their application that they were going through both mental and physical agony and some of them are so scared that they were afraid of raising their voice on this issue.
Talking to Pakistan Today students expressed their reservations about the credibility of the inquiry committee. “How can a committee which has already failed to complete the inquiry report of a previous incident do the same job again,” said a student, who asked not to be named. Talking to Pakistan Today, QAU VC Dr Masoom Yasinzain said he had complete faith in the inquiry committee. “They are looking at every aspect of these cases, which is why the inquiries are being delayed. If the university controller and lecturer are found involved in cases they will be shown zero tolerance,” he added.
