Chinese student files sexual harassment complaint against Pakistani professor

A three-member committee has been formed in Malakand University to investigate the allegations of sexual harassment brought by a Chinese student against her professor, The News reported Friday.

Quoting unnamed sources, the report said a Chinese student who has been pursuing her MPhil in the university has approached the high-ups in the university as well as in the government with serious allegations of sexual harassment against a senior professor in the Department of English.

The university has formed a three-member committee to probe the matter, the publication said.

Related: Inquiry report on sexual harassment in Gomal University revealed

The committee, according to sources, has held four meetings so far and it will submit its report soon.

Some members of the committee, when approached by the newspaper, confirmed they had started proceedings but declined to comment considering it as a “highly confidential” matter.

The university’s spokesman, Fida Khan, also declined to comment till submission of the committee’s report.

He only said that an “unofficial email has been made to an unofficial address” in which allegations of sexual harassment have been made against a professor of the university.

Four more Gomal University employees sacked on sexual harassment charges

The issue of sexual harassment of female students at the Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan also took a new turn as four more employees of the institution were dismissed from service on charges of “proven grave misconduct”.

The action, according to The News, is believed to have been taken to 'avenge' the forced resignation of another professor of the university a few days back. The professor in question had been found guilty of sexual harassment. 

Read also: What to do if you have been sexually harassed?

The Gomal University administration issued four separate notifications awarding the major penalty — dismissal from service — to four employees — two teaching and as many non-teaching — on charges of sexual harassment.

They included Prof Dr Bakhtiar Khan, of the Institute of Business Administration, Imran Qureshi, assistant professor of the same department, Hikmatullah, game supervisor, and Hafeezullah, Lab attendant.

The action was taken days after the forced resignation of Dr Salahuddin, dean of arts and head of Arabic studies and research, who had to quit the institution after being found guilty of sexually harassing female students of the university.

The university administration had been left with no other option but to ask him to resign. He was then arrested by police and sent to jail. However, he has acquired bail from the court and is out of jail now.

Some reports suggested that the allegations of sexual harassment against Dr Salahuddin had been made long before and formal complaints had been submitted to the university administration, but no action could be taken against him owing to his political influence and cordial ties with the top bosses in the university.