ISLAMABAD: The Senate Subcommittee on Federal Education and Professional Training, National Heritage and Culture has rejected a report by the International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI), regarding two separate incidents involving murder and rape of two students, while asking the university management to take adequate measures to ensure safety and security of the students on campus.
The subcommittee met with Senator Rukhsana Zuberi in chair on the other day.
Reviewing the report submitted by an IIUI committee that investigated the murder and rape of two students in separate incidents, the Senate sub-panel identified "numerous loopholes and contradictions in the report."
The subcommittee was of the view that the IIUI management was trying to hush up its "criminal negligence" by hiding the actual facts involving the two incidents.
The subcommittee expressed its dissatisfaction on the IIUI committee and its findings.
The Senate sub-panel recommended and stressed that the IIUI develop a system that should be strengthened to ensure the safety and security of the students.
This system should be applied at all other educational institutes, it was recommended.
"It is the job of the IIUI to ensure that justice prevails and that those involved in unruly activities are taken to task. But it seems that the IIUI management has miserably failed to do its job," remarked Zuberi, the Convenor Subcommittee.
The panel asked the IIUI management to take strong disciplinary action against perpetrators involved in the two incidents.
The panel recommended that Dr Muhammad Mushtaq, an associate professor at the IIUI, who brought to light the case involving the rape of a male student at the IIUI, be reinstated on job, and asked the IIUI management to "resolve this issue amicably" with Dr Mushtaq.
The subcommittee further recommended that in order to address the grievances of the victim families, the IIUI "must reach out to them and send a delegation to assure them that justice would be done."
The subcommittee will present its report regarding the two incidents at the IIUI campus to the Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training, National Heritage and Culture in the next meeting.
The Senate sub-panel also took strong notice of the recommendation of the IIUI inquiry committee, wherein, it suggested tightening the noose on student politics and union activities on campus.
The subcommittee was of the view that student unions help train future leaders for governance.
Senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan, who attended the subcommittee meeting as a special invitee, said that Senate has already passed two resolutions to allow the activities of student unions.
Convener subcommittee asked the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to set up a 24/7 helpline service to address the grievances of faculties and students in universities.
Subcommittee member Ejaz Chaudhary and senior officials of the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training (MoFEPT), the HEC, and the IIUI attended the meeting.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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