UoS installs cameras to curb harassment

Glasses were added to doors, windows after video of harassment made rounds

SWAT:

The administration of University of Swat (UoS) has installed CCTV cameras in all class rooms along with glass doors and windows in the campus after the sexual harassment allegations surfaced and made rounds on social media.

Students of the university accused that several videos of the university were also in circulation which confirmed the harassment allegations.

Talking to The Express Tribune a female student of the university said that these allegations were not baseless.

“Teachers have internal marks option which is used to sexually harass the female students. This option should be withdrawn to put an end to the non-stop sexual harassment of female students,” she said on the condition of anonymity.

“We demand of the Higher Education Authority to put an end to the internal marks and it must be done in secrecy like matric or intermediate,” she maintained.

Earlier a university student of journalism department wrote a letter to the vice chancellor and stressed on him to take steps to put an end to the sexual harassment of female students.

The student, identified as Jawad, put forward many suggestion in this end.

On this the registrar of the UoS registered an FIR against the student under section 506.25D in Char Bagh Police Station.

Jawad was arrested by police and produced before the magistrate and secured one day physical remand of the student.

The arrest prompted a protest by the university students who accused that several staff members of the university were indeed involved in harassment but the university administration has turned a blind eye towards it in order to save the ‘honour of the varsity’.

The large scale protest resulted in effectively closing the university.

“The protesting students encircled the VC office and he was made hostage inside his office till afternoon,” said a student, adding that the protesters chanted slogans against the VC and demanded his removal.

When contacted, VC UoS, Professor Hassan Sher said that Jawad is an active worker of Paktun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) who threatened us on phone and called names on which police was informed.

“Police called him to the police station for investigation,” he said.

When asked about the written letter wrote by the student, VC said that they had not received it.

“If there is such a letter it must have been sent using a fake name,” he said.

Professor Hassan Sher said that glasses have been added to all doors in the university along with the installation of CCTV cameras in order to make the environment peaceful for all students and teachers.

“The university administration would be able to keep a close eye on all kinds of illegal activities in the university through these measures,” he noted, saying that they were trying their level best to provide a hassle free environment to all students especially female students in the university campus so that they could focus on their studies.

It may be mentioned here that many public sector universities are limelight due to sexual harassment of female students by staff members across the country.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 13^th, 2023.