Narrow-minded sexual sensibilities have brought unimaginable troubles for Pakistani women and girls, now even in schools, colleges, and universities – supposedly a safe environment for those enrolled. The recent cases of sexual harassment and murder of medical students in Sindh, shrouded in mystery, tell a tale of sexual predators operating with impunity in our schools.
Parveen Rind, a nursing house officer at People's University of Medical and Health Sciences For Women (PUMHSW), accused three varsity officials of subjecting her to sexual harassment and physical torture. Only after an outcry from social media activists over the apathetic response of varsity authorities did Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho order a probe into her allegations.
Alluding to the deaths of two medical students, Parveen Rind claimed that neither of them had committed suicide as initially thought. Nimrata Chandani was in her final year Chandika Medical College when her body was found hanging in her hostel room in September 2019. Dr Noshreen Kazmi's body was found hanging from the ceiling fan of her hostel room in November 2021. In both cases, university authorities from Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University (SMBBU), the central university, declared the deaths suicides.
However, there was a public perception that these were cold-blooded murders. By a twist of fate, Rind's reference to the two tragic deaths coincided with a recently released lab report from Jamshoro Forensic and Molecular Laboratory suggesting that the same man likely raped and killed both students in question.
It is disappointing that sexual offences committed against women do not shake the core of some educational institutions, as evident in the response from university administration downplaying cases of sexual harassment. Instead of condemning the murders, Vice Chancellor SMBBU Professor Dr. Anila Atta-u-Rehman said that the lab report was defamatory, saying that “Releasing [the report] at this juncture is an attempt to damage the institution's reputation and also influence the ongoing judicial inquiry into the incident".
According to two professors from SBBU, students enrolled in co-educational institutions do engage in “couple culture”. Sometimes, these romances turn into rivalries. Instead of reporting cases of sexual harassment to the relevant forums, claims of sexual harassment are reported on social media instead. Thus, media trial and character assassination of those accused begin on social networking sites much before formal proceedings at appropriate forums
One professor blamed the institution for its failure to apprise students of the anti-harassment policy and dole out punishment. He also lamented there was no punitive policy for fabricated cases. If the accuser fails to furnish credible evidence, there is no policy of punishment for the accusing party. The professor claimed manufactured cases thus malign individuals and institutions.
University Anti-Harassment Cells are often comprised of individuals whose own knowledge of harassment watchdog is limited and narrow. They do not know how to dig deeper into the matter, while going through evidence and testimony from the victim. Thus, reported cases are left on the backburner, until they are brought forth on social media. There is no denying that social media has emerged as a powerful tool against poor governance and other ills. If various matters of public interest were not presented on social media, they would remain out of administrative and institutional scrutiny.
The modus-operandi of educational institutions dealing with sexual harassment has been to hide the incidents to save their reputation. Because of their unprofessional handling of such crimes, sexual harassers and predators thrive and survive.
Following the death of Dr. Nimrata, a judicial report collected statements from 45 people, including students, college administration and police officials, and determined that the medical student had committed suicide because she was troubled by a difficult relationship with her parents and classmates. The report stated that Dr. Nimrata was liberal while her patents were conservative, and attributed these factors to her severe mental stress. The report recommended an inquiry into classmates of Dr Nimrata who had learned about her death around 10am, but failed to report it until later that day. The judicial inquiry report did also mention that a man’s DNA was found on Dr. Nimrata’s clothes, but did not identify the person in question.
First and foremost, the judicial inquiry is not consistent with the final post-mortem report. The post–mortem report did not conclusively state whether Dr Nimrata had committed suicide or was murdered. The post-mortem report also pointed out that the victim had been sexually assaulted before her death. Importantly, the judicial report did not indicate which scientific methods should be followed to identify the person allegedly involved in the crime.
Sexual offenses and crimes against female students are jeopardising girls’ education. A female medical student from Sindh University Jamshoro, who narrowly escaped kidnapping, called quit and left for home. One parent wrote, "It is better that my daughters remain at home and are uneducated [than become victims]". What is the difference between extremists in Swat Valley, intent on closing the doors of education on girls at gun-point, and those sexual offenders undermining the same? The democratic principles of equality, liberty and justice seem to disappear when they relate to women.
In 2020, University of Balochistan (UoB) received media spotlight following allegations of sexual harassment faced by students. On the complaints of students, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested a university security branch officer and surveillance in-charge for blackmailing students with immodest video content.
An investigative report by Dawn stated that sexual harassment was rampant on the UoB campus, especially for Hazara girls studying there. In the report, one student recalled sitting with several other young women in a professor’s office to discuss their studies. To the student’s discomfort, the professor kept passing remarks about how being surrounded by so much beauty pleased him.
“You look red like a pomegranate, so let me order pomegranate juice for you,” the professor reportedly told the Hazara student. According to her, the professor even sat on the lap of a Hazara girl.
“He did that because he knew he could get away with it. He even kissed her in front of us,” she said.
Several female M.Phil students wrote a letter to the UoB vice chancellor about the “insulting” and “degrading” attitude of their research coordinator.
We have enough provincial and federal laws related to the protection of women from sexual and physical violence, but these laws need elaboration. The problem is the half-hearted attempt to execute these legal laws. This is why women bear the brunt of bad governance. It has to be acknowledged that no nation has ever progressed without the empowerment and education of its women. The very progress of the country is at stake.
We are an Islamic State: nether Islamic ideology nor the country’s constitution permit the subjugation of women or students to violence and sexual harassment. There can be no meaningful improvement in the containment of sexual crimes and violence committed against women until and unless laws are implemented in letter and spirit. Protection of life, property and honour is the foremost responsibility of the state. Can we be the country that ends crimes committed against women? This would be in the larger interest of the country, as sexual crimes are undermining female education and, by extension, the welfare of the state.
Parveen Rind, a nursing house officer at People's University of Medical and Health Sciences For Women (PUMHSW), accused three varsity officials of subjecting her to sexual harassment and physical torture. Only after an outcry from social media activists over the apathetic response of varsity authorities did Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho order a probe into her allegations.
Alluding to the deaths of two medical students, Parveen Rind claimed that neither of them had committed suicide as initially thought. Nimrata Chandani was in her final year Chandika Medical College when her body was found hanging in her hostel room in September 2019. Dr Noshreen Kazmi's body was found hanging from the ceiling fan of her hostel room in November 2021. In both cases, university authorities from Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University (SMBBU), the central university, declared the deaths suicides.
However, there was a public perception that these were cold-blooded murders. By a twist of fate, Rind's reference to the two tragic deaths coincided with a recently released lab report from Jamshoro Forensic and Molecular Laboratory suggesting that the same man likely raped and killed both students in question.
What is the difference between extremists in Swat Valley, intent on closing the doors of education on girls at gun-point, and those sexual offenders undermining the same?
It is disappointing that sexual offences committed against women do not shake the core of some educational institutions, as evident in the response from university administration downplaying cases of sexual harassment. Instead of condemning the murders, Vice Chancellor SMBBU Professor Dr. Anila Atta-u-Rehman said that the lab report was defamatory, saying that “Releasing [the report] at this juncture is an attempt to damage the institution's reputation and also influence the ongoing judicial inquiry into the incident".
According to two professors from SBBU, students enrolled in co-educational institutions do engage in “couple culture”. Sometimes, these romances turn into rivalries. Instead of reporting cases of sexual harassment to the relevant forums, claims of sexual harassment are reported on social media instead. Thus, media trial and character assassination of those accused begin on social networking sites much before formal proceedings at appropriate forums
One professor blamed the institution for its failure to apprise students of the anti-harassment policy and dole out punishment. He also lamented there was no punitive policy for fabricated cases. If the accuser fails to furnish credible evidence, there is no policy of punishment for the accusing party. The professor claimed manufactured cases thus malign individuals and institutions.
University Anti-Harassment Cells are often comprised of individuals whose own knowledge of harassment watchdog is limited and narrow. They do not know how to dig deeper into the matter, while going through evidence and testimony from the victim. Thus, reported cases are left on the backburner, until they are brought forth on social media. There is no denying that social media has emerged as a powerful tool against poor governance and other ills. If various matters of public interest were not presented on social media, they would remain out of administrative and institutional scrutiny.
The modus-operandi of educational institutions dealing with sexual harassment has been to hide the incidents to save their reputation. Because of their unprofessional handling of such crimes, sexual harassers and predators thrive and survive.
One parent wrote, "It is better that my daughters remain at home and are uneducated [than become victims]".
Following the death of Dr. Nimrata, a judicial report collected statements from 45 people, including students, college administration and police officials, and determined that the medical student had committed suicide because she was troubled by a difficult relationship with her parents and classmates. The report stated that Dr. Nimrata was liberal while her patents were conservative, and attributed these factors to her severe mental stress. The report recommended an inquiry into classmates of Dr Nimrata who had learned about her death around 10am, but failed to report it until later that day. The judicial inquiry report did also mention that a man’s DNA was found on Dr. Nimrata’s clothes, but did not identify the person in question.
First and foremost, the judicial inquiry is not consistent with the final post-mortem report. The post–mortem report did not conclusively state whether Dr Nimrata had committed suicide or was murdered. The post-mortem report also pointed out that the victim had been sexually assaulted before her death. Importantly, the judicial report did not indicate which scientific methods should be followed to identify the person allegedly involved in the crime.
Sexual offenses and crimes against female students are jeopardising girls’ education. A female medical student from Sindh University Jamshoro, who narrowly escaped kidnapping, called quit and left for home. One parent wrote, "It is better that my daughters remain at home and are uneducated [than become victims]". What is the difference between extremists in Swat Valley, intent on closing the doors of education on girls at gun-point, and those sexual offenders undermining the same? The democratic principles of equality, liberty and justice seem to disappear when they relate to women.
In 2020, University of Balochistan (UoB) received media spotlight following allegations of sexual harassment faced by students. On the complaints of students, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested a university security branch officer and surveillance in-charge for blackmailing students with immodest video content.
An investigative report by Dawn stated that sexual harassment was rampant on the UoB campus, especially for Hazara girls studying there. In the report, one student recalled sitting with several other young women in a professor’s office to discuss their studies. To the student’s discomfort, the professor kept passing remarks about how being surrounded by so much beauty pleased him.
“You look red like a pomegranate, so let me order pomegranate juice for you,” the professor reportedly told the Hazara student. According to her, the professor even sat on the lap of a Hazara girl.
“He did that because he knew he could get away with it. He even kissed her in front of us,” she said.
Several female M.Phil students wrote a letter to the UoB vice chancellor about the “insulting” and “degrading” attitude of their research coordinator.
We have enough provincial and federal laws related to the protection of women from sexual and physical violence, but these laws need elaboration. The problem is the half-hearted attempt to execute these legal laws. This is why women bear the brunt of bad governance. It has to be acknowledged that no nation has ever progressed without the empowerment and education of its women. The very progress of the country is at stake.
We are an Islamic State: nether Islamic ideology nor the country’s constitution permit the subjugation of women or students to violence and sexual harassment. There can be no meaningful improvement in the containment of sexual crimes and violence committed against women until and unless laws are implemented in letter and spirit. Protection of life, property and honour is the foremost responsibility of the state. Can we be the country that ends crimes committed against women? This would be in the larger interest of the country, as sexual crimes are undermining female education and, by extension, the welfare of the state.