The recent news about a lecturer at Malakand University allegedly blackmailing and sexually harassing his students has left the nation in a state of shock. A video of the incident has gone viral on social media and it is alleged that the lecturer also possessed questionable pictures of students on his phone. The Chief Minister of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has taken notice and ordered an investigation.
Unfortunately, we have witnessed numerous cases like these in universities across the country. The Bahawalpur University incident remains fresh in public memory. Also, the Gomal University dean was forced to resign following student allegations of harassment.
Universities are meant to be safe spaces for both academic and moral learning, but this does not seem true for us. Pakistan already has an extremely low percentage of female students, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which is a traditionally patriarchal society where female education has just begun to gain its footing. If such crimes continue, parents will be forced to rethink the decision of sending their daughters to universities.
According to a 2022 study, 90% of female students reported experiencing verbal harassment within university premises and 10% of the students reported other forms of harassment. These findings underscore an urgent need for universities to enforce strict policies regarding harassment, and ensure student safety. We must hold these criminals accountable and demand swift action against them. It is time that we adopted a system where these crimes do not go unchecked.
SONIA ALI
BUNER DISTRICT
