HARIPUR: District police officer Kashif Aftab Abbasi has asked the management of the University of Haripur (UoH) to share three-year detail of cases of students’ harassment and the action taken against the culprits.

In a letter dated Feb 24, he informed the vice-chancellor and the registrar that incidents of harassment of female students had come to his notice through social media, but these cases were neither reported to the police nor to any other forum.

The letter said such incidents had created resentment among the public and parents.

The DPO referred to different sections of Pakistan Penal Code and said harassment was an offense and the university was bound under law to share the information with relevant authorities for legal action.

The DPO asked the UoH administration to furnish how many complaints of harassment were reported, and what action was taken against the accused. He also asked the university to arrange a students’ gathering, where he (DPO) would educate them about the relevant sections of PPC and anti-harassment laws.

It is to mention here that a letter signed by a number of students had requested Federal Ombudsperson against Harassment Kashmala Tariq to take action against an assistant professor of public health department for harassing a female student.

The students accused the VC and registrar of supporting the suspect. They said instead of taking action against the suspect, the victim was expelled from the varsity.

Meanwhile, in response to the DPO’s letter, the UoH’s additional registrar wrote on Feb 25 that the incident was taken up seriously after receipt of the complaint on Dec 30, 2021.

The letter said a three-member committee had started collecting statements, but on Jan 8, the complainant wrote to it that she wasn’t interested in pursuing her complaint.

The letter said of the three complaints received during last three years, one proved correct and the accused employee was removed from service on Sept 30, 2019.

UoH registrar Prof Shah Masood Khan told Dawn that a female student from the public health department had lodged a complaint through WhatsApp against her department’s assistant professor for harassment. However, he said the complainant declined to pursue her case. He said the teacher had also denied the charges.

He, however, did not say whether the complainant was expelled from the university or she left on her own.

Published in Dawn, February 27th, 2022