NAWABSHAH: The family of Farzana Jamali, an alleged victim of sexual harassment, has rejected the report of an inquiry committee constituted by the Sindh chief minister (CM) and appealed to the chief justice of Pakistan to take notice of the case and provide justice and security to them.

Addressing a press conference at Nawabshah Press Club on Tuesday, Aijaz Ali Jamali and Iqbal Jamali, father and uncle of Ms Jamali, said that their daughter was going through a trauma and if anything happened to her, they would hold the CM, Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University, Nawabshah, (SBBU) vice chancellor and the accused lecturer responsible for it.

The probe body has vindicated the lecturer and VC nominated in the FIR lodged by the victim in the case of sexual harassment.

Aijaz and Iqbal alleged that police were exerting pressure and threatening the family to withdraw the case and settle the issue. The investigation officer (IO) in the case had asked them to settle the matter or be ready for dire consequences, they added.

They said they were citizens of Pakistan and believed in the rule of law; they would not go for any settlement and wait for justice. The future of a bright student, Farzana, and many others was at a stake due to injustice, they said. They demanded of the chief justice of the apex court to take notice and provide justice and security to the family.

Former MPA and leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Inayat Ali Rind has also rejected the report of the probe committee.

Addressing a press conference at Nawabshah Press Club, he said the SBBU vice chancellor must be sacked and justice should be provided to the student.

Farzana Jamali, a final year student of the SBBU, had accused the VC and a lecturer of sexual harassment and also registered an FIR against them in which they obtained pre-arrest bail.

Taking notice, the CM constituted a committee headed by a former VC of Mehran University, Dr Qadeer Rajput, which on Monday submitted their report that no evidence of sexual harassment was found against the accused.

Published in Dawn, September 12th, 2018