UoP asks female students to wear shalwar qamees

After the Hazara University, Abbotabad and Bacha Khan University (BKU), Charsadda the University of Peshawar (UoP) has also introduced a dress code for its students asking its female students to wear white overalls with white shalwar qamees.

Male students have been directed to wear modest cloths with chest cards in a notification issued by the Registrar of Peshawar University on March 4 and girl students have been asked to wear white shlawar and qamees of any colour with overall. In order to avoid criticism on social media, there is no mention of tight jeans and shorts or skin fitted jeans for female or male students in the cleverly written order but by a simple notification all these dresses have been effectively banned for girls.

Previously Bacha Khan University (BKU), Charsadda, Abdul Wali Khan University (AWKU) Swabi and Hazara University, Abbotabad introduced a dress code on the directives of Governor Shah Farman in which skin fitted jeans and shorts were banned for female students and in the case of Bacha Khan University jeans, earrings and wristbands were even banned for teachers who were directed to wear graceful dress.

Read Students collect donations to help UoP

This resulted in widespread criticism on social media but instead of explaining it or taking it back Governor Shah Farman ordered other universities to follow suit. Talking to The Express Tribune an official of the UoP said that the decision was taken after a meeting of the university administration with Governor. The spokesperson of the university Muhammad Noman told The Express Tribune that the decision has also been issued by three universities and they are also determined to implement it completely. “The decision has been taken to introduce uniformity in education institutions and decrease the financial burden of parents,” he said. Earlier a similar dress code was introduced in the university back in 2006 but it was partially adopted.

This time universities have decided to adopt it fully, he said. Replaying to a question the spokesperson said that there was no difference in the fees structure of public and private universities anymore and they had taken a decision to lessen the burden of parents this way. “As far as the university cards display is concerned it would help us identify the students and outsiders and this would greatly help in security,” he said, adding that the new dress code will be strictly implemented.