LAHORE: The services of a senior professor of the King Edward Medical University (KEMU), Lahore, have been placed at the disposal of the health department after the allegations of harassment and physical abuse of medical students against him proved true.

The action was initiated against KEMU physiology department head Prof Saqib Sohail in the light of an inquiry report of a five-member committee comprising senior medical teachers of the varsity.

The committee was constituted by KEMU vice-chancellor Prof Dr Mahmood Ayaz when the affected MBBS students filed a complaint against the professor and protested against him, seeking a prompt action.

The students alleged that professor was a habitual harasser in the classroom and has a record of being involved in such practices.

On Friday last, the professor allegedly harassed some students during a class, beat them up with a stick and used abusive language, leaving them shocked.

They said that this was not the first time, he used abusive language, yelled at students and physically harassed them as he had been resorting to such behaviour on several occasion in the past “for no reasons”.

Taking serious notice of the complaints, the varsity ordered impartial investigations into the matter and formed the committee which confirmed that the allegations were true.

KEMU VC confirmed to Dawn the removal of the professor from the varsity, saying that initially some female faculty members of the varsity filed serious complaints of harassment against him.

He said given the seriousness of the issue, the varsity administration warned Prof Sohail against such behaviour as it was bringing a bad name to the prestigious institution.

Meanwhile, he said, many students came up with the such complaints, prompting the varsity’s management to go for high-level investigations into the allegations.

Prof Ayaz said the KEMU pro-vice chancellor is the harassment committee’s head, while other senior faculty members were also made part of the investigations, proving the allegations true.

To a question, he said, the committee also observed a minor injury mark on the neck of one of the affected medical students, allegedly caused by the professor. This showed the MBBS students were also facing physical abuse by Prof Saqib, prompting him (the KEMU VC) to take up the matter with the provincial health secretary for action on the findings of the inquiry committee.

Prof Ayaz further said that it was shocking for the committee that out of the 337 students of the class, a majority backed the allegations.

Finally, the health department repatriated Prof Saqib Sohail from the KEMU in the light of the committee’s findings.

Published in Dawn, May 19th, 2025