LAHORE: Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan on Monday formed a fact-finding committee to investigate reports of supply to and use of drugs in private and public sector educational institutions.

Instituting the parliamentary panel, the speaker said that complaints of harassment of girls in the educational institutions is a matter of concern for all.

During an open discussion on law and order in the assembly session, he said the Lahore College for Women University vice-chancellor told him during a meeting a few weeks ago that the male staff of her institution must be withdrawn as they were sexually harassing the girl students.

Referring to the alleged private college rape incident, he quoted the DIG (operation) as saying that neither the victims nor her parents had come to fore for registration of the case. The chair suspected that the CCTV footage and evidence of the incident was being destroyed.

Treasury MPA Amjad Ali Javed raised the issue of supply of drugs in the private and public sector educational institutions and demanded a probe into the reports.

At this, the speaker formed a fact-finding committee of the house and directed parliamentary affairs minister Mujtaba Shuja to provide all relevant police reports to the body.

Uzma Kardar, another treasury member, however, challenged LCWU VC’s assertion saying she (Kardar) is a member of the institute’s Senate and knew well about its affairs. She alleged that the VC was using the issue for her personal interest.

The speaker also took notice of the police raid on the residence of opposition MPA Rana Aftab Ahmed, and minister Mujtaba Shuja assured the house that no MPA would be arrested in future without speaker’s permission.

Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2024