Day: May 23, 2016

ISLAMABAD: Police have booked head of a vocational and technical training institute for allegedly attempting to rape a woman student. A 19-year-old student* lodged a complaint with the police that owner of the institute, tortured and tried to rape her.The victim, in her complaint, said she was enrolled in a dress designing course at a vocational and technical training institute, located in a plaza in Karachi Company, on March 23rd this year. She told the police that when she came to the institute on May 20, the suspect who is in-charge of the institute, called her into his office. She said that the suspect tried to rape her and slapped her when she resisted. The victim made noise and other students at the institute came to her rescue, the complaint reads. Karachi Company police registered an FIR the same day, charging the suspect with attempted rape. Victim’s brother* told The Express Tribune on Sunday that the police brought the suspect to the police station after the complaint was lodged but let him go when traders from the market gathered at the police station.

He said that the people accompanying the suspect, most of who were local traders, offered them money to withdraw the case and threatened them when the family refused.“Those people threatened us and almost attacked us within the police station, in front of the SHO,” said the victim’s brother.Officials at the police station said that the traders came to the police station and vouched for the innocence of the suspect.They said the allegation was false. Traders also complained to the police high-ups of “misbehaviour” of the police officials when they went to the institute to arrest the suspect.Police said that the complainant also failed to furnish any supporting evidence. “Neither any student of the institute bore witness to what she claimed. Keeping all these things in view, the police [decided to] delay the arrest of the suspect,” he said. A police officer said that the arrest could only be made, if there was adequate evidence against the suspect.“As per my knowledge, the student and in-charge of the institute argued over an issue of a certificate for the course. More than a rape attempt, the matter was of Section 354 (assault or criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of PPC,” he said.

Express Tribune

KARACHI: She was sitting in the computer lab when a man outside the window began making gestures of sexual nature directed at her. Before she could confront him, he went away – only to be seen a few times again roaming around in her department. “I couldn’t ask him why he was roaming [around in my department],” she said. “But when I asked [other] people outside about what they are staring at, there was this immediate denial. Then, I also thought that if I confront [him], what will I do if I am alone and attacked?” Stories of sexual harassment and personal accounts were shared by students and graduates as they sipped tea at a roadside dhaba in Gulistan-e-Jauhar on Saturday. The meeting was organised by the National Students Federation (NSF) to discuss the issue of sexual harassment at educational institutions and the legislation dealing with it.

Sexual harassment a bitter pill to swallow for KU A student from Karachi University’s (KU) Urdu department narrated how a visually-impaired teacher would always prefer to be held by the hand only by females and be escorted to class. During poetic discussions, he would make inappropriate jokes, telling a female student that her voice was so sweet that it wouldn’t let the ‘mehboob’ [lover] go to sleep. Men at the discussion, such as a graduate of the Institute of Business Management (IoBM), also talked about how he often witnessed female students being harassed. He explained how the chief security officer at his university gate would loudly call out to females walking in. ‘Your back is showing’ or ‘Your thigh is showing’, he would shout at them.

Lacunae in legislation At the meeting, the students also discussed the Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2010. NSF organiser Muzammal Afzal, who studies at KU, said that the law did not cover students. “It only gives protection to employees of a workplace but not students,” he said.

Afzal and his comrades want amendments in the law. Guidelines of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) exist on sexual harassment, it doesn’t call sexual harassment a criminal offence, he said. “It [harassment] is not declared a criminal offence and only calls for termination of the teacher,” he explained. The text of the Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace Act of 2010, which is available online, does not contain the word ‘student’ even once.

Express Tribune

LAYYAH-Three accused of raping a blind woman on the promise of her treatment have been arrested, disclosed District Police Officer Ali Zia. The accused namely Saleem, Khalid and Younus had gang-raped the blind woman, who had earlier been a victim of acid attack years ago, in their own house. The DPO said the accused will be presented to the court for remand.He explained that Nazar Hussain, alleged lover of effected women, he had thrown acid on her face which brunt the face and affected her eyesight. Nazar has passed 6 years in jail after completing his sentence. He said that accused Saleem, who had got bail from local court, has been arrested on charges of threats to the effected family.On other hand, political and social workers condemned the gang rape and demanded the suspects be punished severely. Social worker Tofail Ahmad said that gang rape incident is cruelty.

The Nation