IBA suspends students, spares officials in ‘party incident’

University teachers voiced reservations against Student Conduct Committee

KARACHI:

While two students have faced the music in the form of suspensions for organizing a controversial party on the Institute of Business Administration's (IBA) campus, no one in the administration has been held accountable.

An internal email from the IBA's communications team states that a student, involved in the incident which was reported in the press and social media, was suspended by the Student Conduct Committee for one year on the orders of the Executive Director while another student was barred from entering the campus and hostel premises.

The email further states that students are also required to fully comply with the IBA Code of Conduct as within the limits of IBA there is a complete ban on social and musical events.

However, the email does not mention any action being taken against members of the administration despite the fact that the party happened on the main IBA campus where security officials did nothing to stop it.

On one hand the IBA has handed out suspensions, on the other alumni of the university claim that the IBA has said that the videos circulating on social media were fake. Danish Qazi, President of IBA's Alumni UAE Chapter, who expressed concerns over the incident and met the Executive Director, while talking to the Express Tribune informed that during the meeting the executive director claimed the video was edited.

"When asked how it was possible to deny the authenticity of the videos as the IBA premises were clearly visible? Dr. Zaidi did not put forth any clear argument," he said.

Qazi further added that Dr Zaidi assured that IBA would make meaningful changes but we told him that we would only believe him once we see the changes practically.

The other issue which has arisen for the IBA is that the committee which dished out the punishment, has come under fire by the faculty who have raised objections against two members of the committee.

Read More: Students protest against IBA ‘party’

Some of the teachers have sent emails to the administration recommending the formation of a balanced committee for an impartial inquiry. One such email written by a teacher from the finance department to Dr Akbar Zaidi, a copy of which is available with the Express Tribune, states: "Some members of the Student Conduct Committee are in favor of unlimited freedom while two of its members are new.

These two members are also the party's organizers so how will they investigate the matter? We do not have full confidence in this committee.

Therefore, this committee should be abolished. A new committee consisting of senior members should be formed along with the faculty members and the matter should be entrusted to it."

The Express Tribune asked the IBA's spokesperson about the lack of action against members of the administration with regards to the party that happened under their noses, to which the spokesperson replied that the committee's findings have been shared with the media and if there are any other developments they would be shared as well. When asked about the reservations raised by the faculty against the committee, the spokesperson said, "the matter could not be commented upon at the moment."

The spokesperson was unable to provide comment on the committee's exact findings about administration's involvement in the incident.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, March 31^st, 2022.