QAU harassment cases: ‘Guilty as charged’

Probe body finds officials at QAU guilty; syndicate to meet again on coming Friday to give final decision.

ISLAMABAD:

The investigation committee probing the harassment charges at Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) has strongly recommended the sacking of the two accused officials. The committee found them guilty and presented its findings to the university syndicate on Saturday.

The 56th meeting of the QAU Syndicate, the highest decision-making body of the university, was held here on Saturday under the chairmanship of Vice-Chancellor (VC) Prof. Dr Masoom Yasinzai.

The syndicate would again meet on Friday to give its final decision.

Sources said that the investigation committee in its report proved the involvement of the two officials in the harassment cases and suggested that they be removed from their posts.

The top administration of the university had constituted a committee comprising QAU National Institute of Psychology Director Dr Anila Kamal, Chemistry Department Chairperson Dr Saqib Ali, Department of Biochemistry Professor Dr Wasim and Campus Manager Colonel (retd) Nadeem Gill.

The report suggested forced retirement for Muhammad Babar, the controller of the university, keeping in view his long service, and termination for Noor Mustafa, the teacher of the information technology department, according to an official source.

The source added that the syndicate was divided over the punishment for the two offenders. Some wanted the punishment to be lenient while other members of the syndicate wanted an FIR to be registered against Mustafa and Babar.

Earlier on June 19, the controller had allegedly sexually harassed a student of Natural Sciences in his office.

Later on July 9, the teacher of the information technology department allegedly harassed another female student in his office by asking her to fulfil his “unethical demands” or face the consequences.

Both the cases were handed over to the same committee, which found the officials guilty of the charges.

The committee submitted its report to the VC on Thursday, who decided to call an urgent meeting of the syndicate instead of taking any unilateral action.

The syndicate discussed the cases in detail and agreed to meet again on Friday. The members sought time for reading the reports thoroughly before giving any decision.

The meeting was attended by Sherry Rehman, former federal minister for Information and Broadcasting, Prof. Dr Qasir Mushtaq, Dean Faculty of Natural Sciences QAU and Prof. Dr Waseem Ahmad, Department of Biochemistry along with others.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 24^th, 2011.