Daily Times

Sindh Inspector General Amjed Javed Saleemi, on Monday, took notice of the alleged harassment of Farzana Jamali, a student of Nawabshah’s Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University by her professor.

IG Amjed Javed Saleemi has sought a detailed report from Shaheed Benazirabad deputy inspector general (DIG) regarding the incident.

Farzana Jamali, a final year student of English at the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University had addressed a press conference on Sunday (September 2). While talking to the media, the student disclosed that the head of her department Professor Amir Ali Khattak had been harassing her for the past five months.

Jamali said that when she told her father about the harassment she was being subjected to, he tried to meet the vice chancellor of the university who, at first, refused to meet her father and when he finally did meet her father, he asked him to bury the issue. Farzana Jamali further informed the media that her father was arrested after he had complained to the vice chancellor.

Farzana Jamali demanded justice in the press conference. “My education record is excellent and I was among 10 out of 43 students who passed their FPSC screening test,” said the student. “Why is this happening with me?” she asked before questioning why a false First Information Report (FIR) had been filed against her father.

After the video of Farzana Jamali’s press conference went viral on the social media, IG Sindh took notice of the incident and directed the DIG to compose a report on the issue.

On the other hand, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University spokesperson said that a three-member committee had been formed to investigate the allegations.

Earlier in March this year, a student of Karachi University (KU) said that she was harassed by a faculty member. The student told the media that her professor had offered to pass her with flying colours if she agreed to marry him.

The student alleged that the KU professor had asked her to meet him outside the campus and threatened to fail her when she refused.

“I maintained contact out of fear that he would fail me,” the student said.

Published in Daily Times, September 4^th 2018.