ISLAMABAD: The National University of Science and Technology (Nust) has denied the report on alleged rape case of a student on campus.

“A thorough investigation into the matter has been carried out, as the security & well-being of everyone on campus is an absolute priority for Nust management.

“The investigation revealed that no such incident has taken place,” the university said in a series of tweets from its official Twitter account.

Nust was responding to a tweet that went viral on social media on Tuesday in which @ManalKhan0 stated: “There has been a terrifying report about sexual assault of a student on the premises of one of the biggest universities in #Islamabad. The building was inaugurated this month, and the administration is trying to bury the matter by silencing the studentswho are… demandingan investigation & safety on campus. They are forbidden from discussing this on social media and elsewhere because they may be expelled. This isn’t the first incident rather last summer, a student went through similar ordeal and she was silenced too.”

The university responded: “What kind of a person makes fabricated rape accusations? Let’s start with a thought-provoking fact that false rape allegations ruin lives, reputations and futures. Indeed, propagating such incorrect news is the most horrendous and shameless of acts.”

Nust said: “Recent tweets about the alleged rape of a Nust student are nothing but a heinous attempt to defame this prestigious seat of learning, a desperate act of seeking attention, and a complete hoax!”

It added: “Please rest assured that Nust is safe, and people have no reason to pay heed to this deceitful accusation.”

Meanwhile, taking part in the debate generated on social media, Progressive Students Federation(PRSF) also expressed its concerns on the allegations.

PRSF through a tweet stated they are “deeply concerned about the news making rounds about the alleged incident of sexual assault and violence at #NUST. We demand an independent inquiry of the matter & its report be made public while protecting the identity of survivor & witnesses.”

Meanwhile,Salman Sufi, an international public policy and gender reforms specialist who introduced the Punjab Protection of Women Against Violence Act, in a tweet announced that he would file a case with the Islamabad High Court, seeking an independent inquiry into the allegation.

Despite repeated attempts, Nust spokesperson did not respond to the calls and text messages.

Published in Dawn, December 26th, 2019