DERA ISMAIL KHAN: The director of linguistics and humanities at Gomal University, Prof Hafiz Salahuddin, was forced to resign after allegedly getting caught in a private TV sting operation following accusations of harassment on Monday.

Gomal University Vice-chancellor Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar confirmed to Dawn that the teacher was asked to tender resignation after the administration reviewed the audio-visual recordings of the private TV channel.

Prof Salahuddin was also heading the Islamic Research Centre at the university and was working as chairman of the Islamic Studies department and coordinator of the city campus of the university.

Sources said that he had been associated with the university for last 35 years.

VC Sarwar said that the sting operation videos of the professor that they reviewed were indecent and immoral. He said that the university had previously received complaints of harassment against the professor and was working on them.

He said that currently 12 cases of harassment were being probed and some of the teachers were fired. He said when they quizzed the professor about the videos, he acknowledged his guilt.

Sources said that a female approached the professor as part of the sting and he tried to harass her, which was recorded in the video.

An office order issued by the university administration said that the vice-chancellor was pleased to accept the resignation tendered by Prof Hafiz Salahuddin, the director of Institute of Linguistics and Humanities, from active service with immediate effect as per section 5(9) of Gomal University Pension Statues 2016.

Gomal University also issued a statement, saying that the professor was forced to resign from office and the university was not responsible for his moral turpitude and personal actions.

The statement denied the reports that it was trying to conceal the matter and said that it would be an example for the harassers.

It said that university syndicate approved termination of teachers accused of harassment after through investigations and it would be notified soon.

Published in Dawn, February 25th, 2020