IUB lecturer arrested and suspended for allegedly harassing student

BAHAWALPUR: Prof Dr Muhammad Kamran, Vice Chancellor of Islamia University Bahawalpur (IUB), has suspended a lecturer from the Department of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, Bahawalnagar sub-campus, for sexually assaulting a female student.

The Vice-Chancellor has since investigated the situation, emphasizing that if the lecturer is found guilty, severe consequences will be imposed. He also stated that harassment is not tolerated and that IUB has an anti-harassment committee in accordance with Higher Education Commission(HEC) rules.

After the female student submitted a complaint, the Bahawalnagar B Division Police Station opened an investigation and arrested the instructor. The suspension notification from IUB revealed that the student had also filed a complaint with the anti-harassment sub-committee at the Bahawalnagar campus, which has been directed to submit a report to the Vice Chancellor within 30 days.

The district police have accused the lecturer of several charges, including sexual harassment, abuse, and hitting a female pupil. The victim went to the police because she believed that the university’s anti-harassment unit was attempting to silence the issue rather than acting appropriately.

An FIR was filed, describing the lecturer’s wrongdoing, which included sending pornographic films to the student over WhatsApp, inviting her on a date, and physically assaulting her when she refused. According to several claims, this lecturer has harassed other female students in similar ways.

A female from the same department claimed she had been harassed and abused by the instructor for several months, but her complaint to the Anti-Harassment Committee and the director of the Bahawalnagar campus was never addressed. Instead of resolving the issue, it is said that the administration transferred her to another teacher, and the harassment persisted.

The anti-harassment cell enquired in March 2024, and university sources revealed that the lecturer had been found guilty of misbehavior. However, rather than being severely penalized, he was suspended twice and then reinstated to the team three times.

However, due to the university administration’s delays after the committee’s findings, the victim was forced to seek police aid. The B Division police said they were unable to interfere in the matter previously because the university had withdrawn the complaint and stated that it would undertake a departmental investigation.

Officials from the university, including the director of the Bahawalnagar campus and members of the Anti-Harassment Committee, were unavailable for comment. Reports suggest that there are at least three additional complaints against the same lecturer pending with the anti-harassment committee.