LAHORE: The Punjab Child Protection and Welfare Bureau (CPWB) has filed an application in the Ghalib Market police station against the teachers who were terminated from the Lahore Grammar School (LGS) earlier this week after charges of sexual harassment emerged against them.

CPWB Chairperson Ms Sarah Ahmed told Dawn that according to the regular procedure they adopted against all such accused, they have adopted one in this case as well.

“We approached DIG Operations Ashfaq Khan, and he encouraged us to file a case,” said Ms Ahmed.

“In the meantime my officers went all the way to the school to get their version and knocked and knocked on their gates but the guard told them no one was inside and the school was closed. We also tried to call them, but no one answered – none of the principals answered our phone calls, or called back to talk with us over the issue.”

Based on the complaint, the police will investigate the case further.

“At present the case has no significant development as yet mainly because it is entirely dependent upon the complainants approaching the police,” said Imran, an officer of the CPWB.

“The application that we submitted urged the police to impose Section 377-B (child abuse), Section 509 (Harassment in public place) and the Cyber Crime Act.”

Sarah Ahmed said it was understandable that the students were afraid to open up but that they could easily confide in her if the need be.

“It is not easy to open up in front of the police but the Bureau could help if there is a need,” she said.

However, one former student said this was the time to understand what the students were going through and not to pressure them to go to the police and reveal to them details. It was important she said that the student’s main concerns were brought forward rather than play up the issue.

“I do not believe at the moment any of these students wants to take this to the police,” she said.

Meanwhile, the ad interim inquiry for investigating the case of some admin members is under way and testimonies are being compiled.

A statement issued by the LGS Board of Directors said that the school was founded by Pakistani women, and thatrecent accusations of harassment have ‘shaken them to the core’. It said that following the agreement on charter of demands, the LGS had taken some steps including the formation of an inquiry committee which will look into allegations of harassment, a handbook for teachers and students setting out what constitutes inappropriate behaviour, mandatory training on harassment for faculty, staff and students and publicizing our anti-harassment policy on our website, on school bulletin boards, and in visible school areas to ensure everyone is aware of its terms.

According to Nighat Dad, executive director of digital rights foundation (DRF), the month of June saw an alarming increase of 120 per cent in cases being reported to the helpline, as compared to May. The highest proportion of cases was to do with Non-Consensual Use of Images (NCUI) and blackmail.

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2020