BAHAWALPUR: Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman has said the Islamia University Bahawalpur (IUB) narcotics and sexual harassment scam was exaggerated on social media, regretting that the episode hit the cause of women education and empowerment.

According to an official handout, the governor said this while addressing a laptop distribution ceremony at the IUB here on Wednesday.

The governor said an IUB inquiry committee was probing on merit into the university’s affairs, including its financial matters and the drug scam, adding that strict action would be taken if anyone was found involved in any wrongdoing. He said the government had a zero-tolerance policy against the use of narcotics in the educational institutions. He said the IUB’s academics and students were respectable citizens and their dignity and credibility would not be allowed to be compromised.

According to an IUB press release, the governor regretted that a false narrative against the IUB was being propagated on social media and vulgar videos from across the world were being attributed to the university. He deplored that by “over-blowing” the scam and building a false narrative against the IUB on social media the cause of women empowerment and education was targeted by some elements.

The governor said the police also showed “carelessness” and acted in a haste while dealing with the IUB scam, regretting that the preliminary investigation report was also leaked. He said the Punjab government had also submitted an application to the chief justice for the constitution of a judicial commission on the scam.

He asked the university administration and the students to continue their academic activities without being demoralised by the scam.

Talking about the country’s political scenario, the governor castigated the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf for “using the younger generation for the promotion of [its agenda of] hatred”, adding that no one would be allowed to preach hatred on social media.

Meanwhile, the Bahawalpur Union of Journalists at its meeting chaired by its president Majeed Gill condemned the IUB administration for not inviting the media to cover the event.

MAN KILLED: A man was killed, while eight others suffered serious injuries in firing between two rival groups over a land dispute at 4/DRN village near Yazman, about 40km from here.

According to Rescue 1122, members of two rival groups first attacked each other with clubs and then resorted to firing. As a result, a bullet hit one Amanullah (32), who died on the spot, while eight others, including Irshad, Muhammad Din, Ilyas and Umar Hayat suffered serious injuries and were shifted to Yazman THQ Hospital in a critical condition.

Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2023