LAHORE: Punjab School and Higher Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat on Friday constituted an inquiry committee to probe the death of a private university student.

Muhammad Awais Sultan, a 22-year-old Pharm-D student, ended his life by jumping from the fourth floor of the university building on Dec 19. The CCTV footage captured his final moments.

The minister took notice of the protest and posted on social media platform X that he had constituted an inquiry committee to probe into the matter and submit a report within four days. The committee consisted of public and private universities’ vice chancellors, he said.

He also said that the institution and HED had also conducted two internal inquiries of the incident, but he had established another high-powered inquiry committee to probe the matter.

Students of different universities protested against the private university administration for the student’s suicide for allegedly being denied to appear in the examination over attendance issue. Students demanded reforms in public and private educational institutions of the country.

Family and classmates claimed that Awais faced humiliation after low attendance in one subject threatened his entire semester, despite his fee being paid.

Published in Dawn, December 27th, 2025