HYDERABAD: A division bench of the Sindh High Court Hyderabad circuit, comprising Justice Salahuddin Panhwar and Justice Fahim Ahmed Siddiqui, on Thursday ordered women development department Hyderabad’s director to visit all hostels for girls at the Sindh University and meet students to know if they face any problem or harassment.

The bench said the officer shall at least pay three visits before next date of hearing which is fixed for Sept 18.

The court directed Jamshoro’s senior superintendent of police (SSP) and Hyderabad’s deputy inspector general of police to depute women police officer not below the rank of ASP who shall provide complete assistance to the women development department officer in completing this exercise.

It ordered Jamshoro SSP to submit details of investigations conducted in Sindh University student Naila Rind’s case.

It also ordered that the SSP shall also provide details of FIRs registered with regard to offences committed at the Sindh University during the last five years.

The bench called for a report from provincial ombudsman for protection against harassment of women at workplace relating to complaints, if any, received from girl students of Sindh University during the last two years.

It passed these directives on a constitutional petition filed by Qirat Fatima and seven others.

Ali Ahmed Palh advocate appeared on behalf of petitioners who sought formation of a judicial or inquiry commission to investigate the mysterious death of Naila Rind earlier this year.

Mr Palh informed the court that the opinion of prosecution was that Naila committed suicide by hanging herself with a ceiling fan due to blackmailing and harassment by one Anis Khaskheli.

The counsel said that around 9,000 female students studied at SU and added that the Jamshoro SSP also resided in a bungalow provided by the university administration.

He said that impartial investigation was not conducted in the Naila Rind case and claimed that several other murders had taken place at the university due to inadequate security arrangements.

The Sindh University counsel submitted before the court that for maintaining law and order at the university, they had allotted two bungalows to Rangers and Sindh police.

The attorney was not aware about deployment of watchmen at girls’ hostels.

Published in Dawn, September 15th, 2017