Pakistan: High-powered body to probe Bahawalpur varsity scandal

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan has decided to form a high-powered committee, comprising three vice-chancellors and officers from security agencies, to investigate the Islamia University Bahawalpur (IUB) scandal.

An official from the Islamia University of Bahawalpur (IUB) was detained by Punjab Police earlier this week, in Pakistan on suspicion of drug abuse. The chief of security at the university was held the day before the arrest for reportedly having crystal meth and offensive recordings and pictures of IUB students and employees, according to a Dawn report.

The HEC Chairman Mukhtar Ahmed told the National Assembly Standing Committee that the education sector was suffering because of the scandal at the varsity.

Today, we will notify this high-powered committee, which will stay in the university for some days to complete the probe, he said and added that there were 253 universities (both public and private) in the country and because of this issue, the students were upset.

The deputy registrar informed the committee that the chief security officer of the IUB had been suspended and was on judicial remand. The committee directed the management of the IUB to submit details at the next meeting.

The committee members said that so far a thorough probe should have been conducted by the university management, but it failed to do so. Members said that the committee should engage the Federal Investigation Agency to probe this matter, adding that a forensic audit of all deans of the university should be carried out by the FIA cyber wing.

It also decided to summon the Regional Police Officer of Bahawalpur and FIA Cyber Crime Wing head at the next meeting to be held on July 31 at HEC Secretariat in Islamabad.

A special report by police claimed that a group of teachers at the university was involved in the sale of drugs and sexual exploitation of female students and teachers, according to Dawn.

City Circle police detained the IUB transport in charge and allegedly recovered eight grams of meth from his possession, the report stated quoting an FIR.

On June 28, Baghdad-ul-Jadid police arrested the IUB treasurer at a picket claiming to have recovered meth and aphrodisiacs from him. A case was registered in the matter, according to the report.

Similarly, the police detained the universitys security chief last week and recovered sexually explicit content from his phone, as well as several aphrodisiac pills and drugs from his possession, Dawn reported.

In a special report, police claimed that the two officials held on drug charges were also involved in blackmail and sexual exploitation of students and teachers in the varsity.

The report claimed the treasurer confessed that he along with a group of other teachers would purchase and distribute drugs through students and arrange dance/sex parties.

The police revealed that the group of teachers would exploit/blackmail girls and intoxicate them using drugs and were carrying out these activities with the help of the IUB security in-charge, Dawn reported.

The police intercepted the security chief at a picket at Baghdadul Jadid Morr and recovered 10 grams of ice and five aphrodisiac pills from his pocket and registered a case under Section 9(2)1 of the Control of Narcotics Substance Act, 1997.

The report stated that the suspect disclosed that some teachers were involved with him in the buying, selling, sharing and using these drugs and they would also organise parties in and outside the campus with students and female staff, the Dawn reported.

After an analysis of his mobile phone, the investigating team also tracked some students for supplying and buying drugs. The investigation revealed that 11 students enrolled in the university had criminal records and were involved in drug peddling. The investigation report also contained screenshots of objectionable pictures of the women and communication regarding the sale and purchase of drugs. (ANI)