DERA GHAZI KHAN: The Ghazi University vice chancellor suspended two professors from service after a probe committee found them guilty of sexual harassment of a student and sent the case to the syndicate committee to take further action.

About a month back, a girl student of the Physics Department, had submitted a written complaint to VC Prof Dr Muhammad Kamran about sexual harassment committed by the chairman of her department.

The university administration allegedly first tried to cover up the matter but later issued a press release when the matter was reported by the local media.

The press release said a student of the physics department had filed a complaint about sexual harassment against the chairman of her department, Associate Professor Dr Zafar Wazir.

VC Prof Dr Muhammad Kamran removed him from the post of the chairman and stopped him from teaching. A four-member committee, headed by Dr Saadullah Leghari, was formed to probe the matter.

Speaking to Dawn, Dr Leghari said the committee had quizzed at least 26 people, including the complainant, students and faculty members and sought written replies from the suspects.

The probe declared two teachers of the Physics Department, Associate Professor Dr Zafar Wazir and Associate Professor Dr Khalid Mehmoodur Rehman, guilty of sexual harassment. The former had committed harassment while the latter was found guilty of abetting him.

Dr Leghari said it was up to the syndicate now to terminate both the faculty members or constitute an inquiry committee from outside the university to evaluate the findings of the university’s own four-member probe, which was led by him.

Published in Dawn, May 26th, 2023