PESHAWAR, April 15: Girl students of the University of Peshawar blame some ‘conservative-minded’ university lecturers and the ‘mullah culture’ for the rise in wearing scarves and veils (burqas) among female students.

Female students of various departments told this reporter that they were left with no choice but to wear veils as they were often teased by their male classmates. Some of them even cited being admonished by lecturers for observing parda as a reason.

A university lecturer on the condition of anonymity said: “Some lecturers discuss observance of parda instead of teaching their respective subjects in class.”

Another university lecturer said: “The girls who study in the university belong to educated and refined families. Parda is an individual decision and nobody should impose it or run ‘parda campaigns’.

Several female students studying political science and journalism said that they had been indirectly forced to use hijab or veil by their lecturers. They further said that uncouth boys and their obscene remarks was another major reason.

A political science department student said: “Whether girls wear veil or not the boys keep harassing them with their indecent remarks. Lecturers also like those students who wear a veil or hijab.”

A chemistry department student said: “Instead of preaching good manners and ethics to these uncouth boys lecturers admonish female students to cover their faces.”

A journalism department student said that she wore a ‘white overall’ not because it was part of the university uniform but on the advice of one of her lecturers. “Whether lecturers ask us to wear a traditional burqa or an overall we can not afford to offend them and must obey them.”

A journalism department lecturer while talking to this reporter said: “Those female students who don’t observe parda are extremely fashion conscious and waste precious time in matching clothes and accessories. So observing parda is better for them.”

Mr Sherbahadur, the registrar of University of Peshawar, said: “The university administration has not prescribed any uniform or dress code for female students. Lecturers also have no right to impose a dress code on students. They only have powers to impose fine if students misbehave.”

Shah Jehan Syed, chairman of the journalism department, on being contacted on the issue said that he had not issued any directives regarding a dress code for female students. “Observance of parda is a personal thing and is the individual decision of a student.”

He said: “The trend of using veils by females is increasing as it is a general trend in middle class society, which is usually religious.