SBBU VC, lecturer resign over sexual harassment allegation
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NAWABSHAH: Two accused in the sexual harassment case of a girl student, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University (SBBU) Nawabshah Vice Chancellor (VC) Arshad Saleem and English department head Amir Khattak, tendered their resignations on Tuesday.
Farzana Jamali, a SBBU final-year student, had accused the two of harassment and lodged an FIR against them on Sept 4, 2018, in which the accused had obtained pre-arrest interim bail. Amir Khattak is the main accused in the case.
Addressing the Sindh chief minister in his resignation, the VC said he was under tremendous mental stress and pressure. He was submitting his resignation to facilitate 100 per cent free and fair justice, he added.
According to sources, the latest development in the case, which started 42 days ago, was due to the intervention of an MPA and senior leader of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) who met Farzana Jamali and her father at Nawabshah on Monday.
“Justice prevailed at last”, Farzana Jamali told reporters. She was protesting outside Nawabshah Press Club for justice with the support of various political parties, including the Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz, Sindh Taraqqi-pasand Party, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and others.
It was not only her victory, but also of every female student, she said and vowed to continue her education.
Farzana said she went through trauma, her father was sent to jail in a “fake” case and then her brother was arrested in a “fictitious” case of bomb blast.
She demanded of the government for a neutral inquiry in the case of her brother Zuhaib Jamali who was in the custody of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Hyderabad.
Earlier, an enquiry committee was also constituted by the Sindh CM after a series of protests by the victim, her family, political parties and civil society. But the committee headed by Prof Abdul Qadeer gave a clean chit to the VC and the lecturer, concluding that no sexual harassment was proved.
Farzana also accused a senior Sindh minister of supporting the vice chancellor.
Published in Dawn, October 10th, 2018
