SWAT: The students of Swat University staged a protest here on Wednesday against some faculty members and vice-chancellor for their alleged involvement in harassment of female students.

The protesters chanted slogans against the vice-chancellor and the staff members. The university remained closed and vice-chancellor did not come out of his office till noon owing to the protest of the students.

The protesters said that students of the university submitted a detailed complaint to the vice-chancellor against the faculty members for harassing female students. “Some of the female students, who have faced harassment from their teachers, have also written a letter to the provincial ombudsman,” they added.

In response to the letter, the provincial ombudsman directed the vice-chancellor and standing inquiry committee of the university to immediately investigate the allegations and submit a report in that regard.

The protesting students said that instead of conducting an inquiry and taking action against the teachers, the VC, through the registrar, lodged an FIR against Mohammad Jawad, a final year student of the journalism department, under PPC 506/25D.

“It is shocking for us that one of our friends, who has written an application to the VC against harassment of female students, has been arrested by police,” they said.

The arrested student was presented to court for physical remand. The court handed him over to police on one-day physical remand.

The harassment of female students at Swat University is not a new phenomenon. A few years ago, a female professor of the university was allegedly harassed. She had filed a report against the then registrar at Kanju police station, accusing him of sexual harassment.

During the tenure of the current vice-chancellor, the registrar was dismissed from the university job.

Swat University Vice-Chancellor Prof Hasan Sher, when contacted for his comment on the issue, said that he had not received any letter in that regard.

Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2023