RAWALPINDI: The Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi has imposed a ban on the use of social media on the campus.

Earlier, the students were allowed to use Facebook and Twitter through the university’s WI-Fi and servers. However, last month, the popular social networking services were blocked.

The students termed the university management’s decision unjustified and demanded that the ban should be lifted.

“Through social media we used to keep ourselves updated about the activities of our friends. But we have no idea why the university administration banned the use of social media,” said a female student who wished not be named.

Another student, who is pursing his graduation degree in horticulture, said social media was necessary for gaining knowledge.

Official says Facebook, Twitter blocked after complaints by girl students

“In advanced countries, students are allowed to use the social media in classrooms but here we even can’t use it in the cafeteria as the IT department has blocked all the signals,” he said.

When contacted, Nadeem Malik, the additional director networking, told Dawn that Facebook and Twitters were blocked by the university administration after receiving written complaints from some girl students of the agriculture department who accused their fellow students of passing insulting remarks against them on social media.

He said the administration had also noticed that some students left negative comments and even uploaded pictures of students without their consent.

“Students should concentrate on their studies instead of spending hours on the social media,” he said, adding the academic council in its meeting on June 24 also approved the ban.

Mr Malik said the vice chancellor had provided Rs10 million to the IT department for upgrading the Interment facility for students.

“We are providing best and advanced internet facility to students,” he claimed.

According to the documents presented in the meeting of the academic council, the use of social media by the boarding and non-boarding students was banned.

Impersonation or harassing an individual or a group through social media or mobile phones is strictly banned and the responsible shall be held accountable.

The documents added that the range of penalties for the use of social media shall be decided by the competent authorities of the directorate of students’ affairs in consultation with the members of the disciplinary committee.

It may be noted that there is no such ban at the Quaid-i-Azam University.

“There are no restrictions on the use of Facebook and Twitter in our university. We are even trying to further improve our system,” said QAU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Etazaz Ahmed.

Published in Dawn, July 21st , 2014