Lahore varsity teacher ‘harassed’ by security staff

Claims security official had threatened her with dire consequences

LAHORE: A female faculty member of the University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Lahore has alleged she was physically harassed and attacked by the varsity’s security staff outside her home on Wednesday evening.

The woman teaches at UET’s Kala Shah Kaku (KSK) campus. The vice-chancellor  has formed a five-member committee to investigate the matter after a formal complaint was launched by teachers.

The teacher is a resident of a colony near the KSK campus. She said a senior security member also lived in the area and recently had an argument with the teacher. During the altercation, the security official threatened her with dire consequences.



Late on Wednesday evening, the official allegedly attacked her driver who was sleeping in the vehicle parked outside her home.

When she came out of her house and tried to calm the official, he allegedly attacked the driver and she was also hurt in the confrontation.

The official called up university guards and they beat the driver, while the faculty member was also shoved in the process. The guards also brandished weapons, scaring residents of the neighbourhood, she claimed.  Talking to The Express Tribune, Teacher Staff association (TSA) President Dr Muhammad Shoaib confirmed the female faculty member complained she was harassed by security staff.



The committee members visited the KSK Campus on Thursday to probe the matter.

A teacher of the campus, requesting anonymity, said that the ‘attack’ was concerning. “Those who are supposed to protect us are attacking us. We [teachers] feel harassed by our own security guards and don’t feel safe,” he said.

(NAMES WITHHELD TO PROTECT IDENTITY)

Published in The Express Tribune, February 3^rd, 2017.