BAHAWALPUR: The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Education has asked the Federal Investigating Agency (FIA) to hold a forensic analysis of the videos of alleged sex and narcotics scandal at the Islamia University of Bahawalpur (IUB).

This decision was taken by committee Chairman Syed Samiul Hassan Gilani in the Aug 3 meeting which was also attended by IUB’s Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Naveed Akhtar and Bahawalpur DPO Syed Muahmmad Abbas.

The VC told Dawn he was yet to receive the minutes of the NA standing committee proceedings from the NA secretariat. After receipt of minutes, he added, he would be able to know details of other decisions finalised by the committee.

The VC did not buy the police claims about the presence of 5,500 objectionable videos allegedly recovered from the mobile phone of IUB’s former chief security officer Syed Ijaz Shah (now in detention). That was why, he said, the NA committee had referred the matter to FIA’s cyber crime wing for their analysis .

Regarding action against university employees and 113 record-holders (students ) mentioned in police report and allegedly identified by arrested CSO Syed Ijaz Shah, the VC said he had no details of the police report and hence could not proceed against anyone.

“I have sought a meeting with the DPO over this issue,” he said.

He rejected claims that there were 165 private university hostels functioning without any proper check in the city and said the university owned only one hostel and that too was closed.

He said so far he had sacked university’s three officials due to their suspicious role in the scandal. He said CSO Ijaz Shah and former treasurer Dr Abu Bakr would remain under suspension till the decision of their cases by courts.

About ongoing admissions, Prof Akhtar said the number of admissions would be slashed this year to overcome shortage of classrooms and hostels. So far, he said, nearly 62,000 applicants had be received.Answering a question, the VC said the Governor/Chancellor had taken notice of replacement of the treasurer with an IT man. Now, he added, the additional treasurer has been given the charge of the treasurer office.

The VC said a number of measures had been taken to to steer the IUB of the financial and administrative crises. Presently, the IUB faced over Rs 40 million liabilities which could be resolved in due course of time.

In this connection, he said the varsity had cleared Rs 140 million loan of First Women Bank. He said the like amount borrowed from the same bank last year was yet to be cleared.

He said as a result of some of his speedy measures, the university and employees had been paid their salaries for the month of July. He said fresh hiring would not be made due to financial crisis except pending applications received against advertised position in the past.

Published in Dawn, August 11th, 2023