FAISALABAD: Government College University Faisalabad’s Mass Communication department coordinator Dr Salma Umber is struggling to get justice against an MPhil student who allegedly misbehaved with her at her office on May 15 last.

Dr Umber reported the incident to the university administration the same day. The administration, instead of taking action against Waseem Nawaz who is enrolled in MPhil (weekend program) session 2016-18, formed a committee on May 21 against the teacher to probe the six complaints filed by the student on the Pakistan Citizen Portal.

Footages of the cameras went viral on the social media showing Nawaz in an aggressive behaviour and the teachers of the department trying to pacify him.

In her application, Dr Umber, who is an assistant professor serving the university since 2006, submitted to the university administration, the Chief Minister’s Inspection Team and other departments, complained that Nawaz had come to her office where he misbehaved with her and hurled threats in the presence of many people for not changing his viva voce results.

She said the viva voce was conducted by University of Sargodha’s Mass Communication department chairperson Dr Mudassar Shah. She said the external examiner awarded him C grade in his viva voce which he didn’t accept and intimidated him to change his grade. Dr Shah filed a written complaint against Nawaz to her and the vice chancellor.

“This student lodged a false complaint against me on the Pakistan Citizen Portal and used abusive language on the social media,” Dr Umber said. She alleged that the university administration, instead of taking cognizance of a serious complaint, ordered an inquiry against her. Her request to the varsity to ask the disciplinary committee to take action against the student fell on deaf ears, she said.

Following reports of the incident aired by TV channels on Friday, the university suspended Nawaz and banned his entry on all campuses of the university.

Dr Mudassar Shah in his complaint to the GCUF vice chancellor and Dr Umber on May 15 said he performed his duty as an external examiner of MPhil theses for various institutions. “Nawaz and another student, Muhammad Tariq, are employing tactics to make him change their marks based on his evaluation. It it is highly unethical if I do so and I request the authorities concerned to inquire into the issue,” he said.

Speaking to reporters, Nawaz denied the allegations levelled by Dr Shah and Dr Umber. “I had visited the office of Dr Umber only to tell her that he was being treated unfairly,” he said.

The four-member committee formed against Dr Umber comprises Dr Asim Mahmood, Dean Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Dr Hazoor Muhammad Sabir, Dean Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences, Dr Naeem Iqbal, Director Advance Studies, and Abdul Mannan, Deputy Controller of Examinations. It has been asked to furnish the report by May 27 after probing whether or not the viva voce examination conducted on Jan 6 last had been tampered with by Dr Umber.

Complaints on the citizen portal read that Dr Shah put his signature on a blank paper and handed it over to Dr Umber who allegedly tampered with it.

Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2019

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