Two female judges to oversee reforms in Jamshoro university hostels

LUMHS, MUET, SU hostels said to be unsanitary, unsafe for young girls

HYDERABAD:

As complaints abound regarding lack of facilities at female hostels at universities in Jamshoro district, the Sindh High Court (SHC) has assigned two female judges to oversee reforms to improve the hostels. The bench, comprising justices Salahuddin Panhwar and Fahim Ahmed Siddiqui, ordered on Tuesday the Hyderabad district and sessions judge to depute two female judges who will be assisted by Women Development Deputy Director Fouzia Ashraf.

The judges will have to examine the problems, make recommendations for improvement and take action against officials if they are found involved in any wrongdoing. The vice-chancellors of Sindh University, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS) and Mehran University of Engineering and Technology (MUET) have been directed to cooperate with the judicial officials.

The judges will be empowered to order the removal of any nuisance or provide any required facility at the hostels. The court ordered the syndicates of the three universities to consider and take action as per the recommendations of the judges and Ashraf.

During the hearing, Ashraf, who was deputed by the court to visit the hostels and submit a report, stated that she found serious difficulties, illegalities and irregularities in the hostels. "The girls are living in a situation that cannot be expected in a university and even the women jail is better than the hostels," she told the court. "... many girls pointed out that there is sexual harassment by the teaching staff as well other staff members."

She informed the bench that the hostel wardens who are drawing a Rs7,000 wage are also students of SU, studying alongside the hostel residents. She claimed that they are also under pressure and confronted harassment, while some of them are not mature enough to be appointed wardens. According to her, the hostel dwellers have to drink unclean water and the hostel's condition was very dirty.

"The picture, so appears from contentions of Ashraf is not only serious but also alarming," Justice Panhwar observed. The bench ordered the vice-chancellors to ensure installation of closed-circuit television cameras around the female hostels equipped with night vision feature and to recruit qualified hostel wardens on a permanent basis. The director-general of health in the province was asked to set up clinics with female staff in the hostels. The court gave one month’s time for compliance.

The Hyderabad DIG has been directed to depute DSP Agha Aijaz with complete police escort, comprising at least two lady sub-inspectors and three male sub-inspectors for the hostels of the three universities.

Hostel suicide case

The order about hostel reforms has been given in the case of a girl’s suicide. The girl was a final year student who allegedly committed suicide in the girl’s hostel of SU on January 1 this year. The bench, while staying the ongoing trial in Anti-Terrorism Court, ordered a judicial probe of the case by Hyderabad district and sessions judge Amjad Ali Bohio.

Advocate Sajjad Ahmed Chandio and Advocate Ali Palh, who appeared on behalf of the petitioners, pleaded for a judicial investigation while expressing dissatisfaction with the ongoing police investigation. The police implicated Anis Khaskheli, a lecturer at a private college, in the case of the student's death for allegedly blackmailing the deceased, which forced her to take her life.

Ashraf also recommended a further investigation into the case, pointing out that there are many aspects which ought to be investigated. She apprised the court that a Sudanese girl committed suicide in similar way sometime back. The petitioners contended that there are other cases of sexual harassment by sons of influential persons and that the hostels’ residents are apparently not safe.

Professors in administration

The SHC ordered the chief secretary and secretary of boards and universities to form a committee to ‘examine every aspect of Sindh University and submit recommendations’ for improvements. The committee will consist of SU's VC, the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) Karachi director, IBA Sukkur VC, an official of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and two other members to be nominated by SU's VC.

The committee will examine and submit proposals for the selection of doctor of philosophy degrees, award of HEC-funded scholarships, curriculum, information technology lab and other functions of the university.

The court reiterated its earlier order that PhD teachers should be posted in the administration only in rare and exceptional cases and that multiple positions should not be given to an individual. The court was informed that SU Registrar Saleem Chanio is currently holding seven charges.