Day: August 11, 2023

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58 Harassment Cases Reported in 7 Islamabad Universities, Comsats Leads With 41 Complaints

Islamabad: Disturbing revelations have come to light as a total of 58 cases of harassment have been reported across seven different universities in Islamabad. The details, acquired through the Right to Information (RTI) Act, paint a concerning picture of the safety and well-being of students and faculty members within these educational institutions.

Comsats University: The Epicenter of Concern

Comsats University emerged with the highest number of complaints, totaling a troubling 41 cases. Among these, 31 cases were filed by female students, shedding light on the challenges faced by them. Additionally, 10 cases were reported by female faculty members, highlighting the distressing range of the issue. Despite conducting 28 inquiries into complaints from female students and nine inquiries into complaints from female faculty members, details about the action taken against the accused were not shared by the university, despite the order from the Pakistan Information Commission.

Silence on Action Measures

In a similar vein, Quaid e Azam University faced seven complaints, primarily from female students across various departments. The university claimed to have resolved these complaints satisfactorily. However, the institution did not provide further insights into the measures taken against those responsible for the misconduct.

Addressing Inappropriate Messages

Allama Iqbal Open University received six complaints, primarily from tutors against students for sending improper messages. The university took appropriate action against the students.

Varied Records Across Universities

Hamdard University Islamabad handled two complaints from female students against their peers, along with one complaint from a female teacher against a student. The accused in one student’s complaint faced suspension for a few weeks. Meanwhile, the accused in the teacher’s complaint was expelled from the university.

The National University of Technology reported one harassment complaint, while Case University and National Skills University did not have any complaints on record.

Despite media reports suggesting that female students are often victims of harassment from male teachers or faculty members, not a single university shared details of complaints filed by female students against male faculty members.

Source: The Reporters

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Woman Police Officer Rescues Widow’s Land from Mafia, Advocates Justice

In the Mansehra district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a woman police officer has successfully thwarted the efforts of a land mafia to claim a widow’s property, ensuring the rightful possession is restored to her.

Female ASP Nayab Moeez, in conversation with TNN, shared the woman’s story. The woman was married in 2011 but faced divorce a few years later, with two canals of land constituting her dowry.

ASP Nayab Moeez disclosed that despite a court ruling in her favor, the opposition was withholding the widow’s land. After reviewing the woman’s documents, Nayab Moeez stepped in to assist her in reclaiming the property.

Also Read: Protest Turns Tragic: Violence Erupts at Lakki Cement Factor

Nayab recounted the woman’s ordeal, stating that she had tried four times to regain possession of the land, only to be met with resistance and even kidnapping and violence from the opposing party. She confided, “As a woman, I couldn’t go alone. I was distraught.”

Taking action, the police dispatched a team to the location and confirmed the widow’s rightful ownership through Patwari. Nayab assured the woman of her support on the ground, emphasizing the importance of her uniform in aiding those in need. “I assured her that I would stand by her, regardless of any intimidation or violence.”

Nayab Moeez, who joined the police force in 2021 after passing the CSS exam, hails from Lahore and currently serves as an ASP in Mansehra. She noted that previously, women were hesitant to visit the police station to address their issues or assert their rights. With the establishment of the women’s desk and her presence, the trend has shifted, and women are now seeking assistance from the police.

She encouraged other young women to consider joining the police force, highlighting its potential to bolster self-confidence and serve as advocates for fellow women.

Nayab emphasized that women officers possess a unique ability to comprehend and address women’s issues, fostering a better understanding and communication.

Source: TNN

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Policeman booked for torturing wife over dowry issue

NAROWAL: Sialkot police have registered an FIR against a policeman on charges of torturing and burning his wife over a dowry issue.

Labourer Tariq Mahmood, a resident of Satuki, Daska tehsil, Sialkot district, reported to the police that his 14-year-old daughter, Mubeen Fatima, was married to constable Waqas Nazir of Pasrur tehsil some five months ago.

He told Dawn whenever he visited the house of his daughter’s in-laws, he was told that she was happy and did not want to meet the family.

He said when his daughter came to his home after five months, she alleged that her husband used to torture her and even burnt her body with iron, besides keeping her in chains.

Tariq alleged that Waqas also set his wife (Fatima) on fire by sprinkling petrol on her. When he asked his son-in-law the reason for this cruelty, he opened fire and threatened to kill him.

He said his daughter was under treatment in the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, Pasrur.

The complainant alleged that the accused, unhappy over dowry, was used to torture his daughter with the help of his sister Sadaf.

Sialkot District Police Officer Muhammad Hassan Iqbal ordered Pasrur Sadr police to take a legal action

Meanwhile, the accused made several calls to a journalist and threatened to kill him. On the orders of the DPO, police have made alleged threats to the journalist part of the FIR.

Khurram Shehzad, a spokesperson to Sialkot district police, said the accused, posted at the Satrah police station, had been suspended by the DPO who had also ordered a departmental inquiry against him.

The accused is yet to be arrested.

Source: DAWN

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Woman killed by in-laws

TAXILA: A woman was shot dead by her in-laws in Kawwan village of Hassanabdal. Police sources said Najma Alam married Sharafat Khan about 15 years ago and had no children due to which relations between the woman and her in-laws remained strained.

On Thursday, her husband along with his brother Shafqat Khan and father Waris Khan killed her after an exchange of heated words. The suspects managed to escape from the crime scene.

The body of the victim was shifted to the tehsil headquarters hospital for autopsy.

Source: DAWN

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Maid torture case: Post-arrest bail of judge’s wife rejected

ISLAMABAD: Judicial Magistrate Shaista Kundi rejected the post-arrest bail application of Somia Asim in the minor maid torture case. The court announced the reserved verdict on Thursday.

Defense lawyer Qazi Dastgir and plaintiff’s lawyer Faisal Jatt appeared in the court while prosecutor Waqas and the parents of the victim were also present.

Judge Shaista Kundi and Somia’s lawyer exchanged harsh words during the hearing.

The case surfaced late last month when the victim’s parents shifted her to a hospital in Lahore with serious injuries, alleging the judge’s wife had tortured the girl.

During the proceedings, the civil judge’s wife was produced before the judge wherein her lawyer Qazi Dastgir informed the court that the date of the incident was not mentioned in the first information report (FIR).

The lawyer said that according to CCTV footage, the girl was handed over to her mother by his client, adding that some videos showed that the girl sat on a bench at a bus station and laid down like a healthy person. He argued that a story had been concocted against his client Somia.

On the judge’s inquiry, the video of the bus station was played in the courtroom.

The CCTV footage of the private bus stand was shown in the courtroom while the prosecution said the two-and-a-half-minute-long video had been sent for a forensic audit. The judge asked the girl’s mother to tell the truth about what had happened at the bus station. She asked the girl’s mother, “Does your child wear a scarf?”

The girl’s mother replied, “No, my daughter does not wear a scarf, the purpose of hiding the face was to hide the wound.”

The judge asked the girl’s mother, “What happened in the car? Did you sit in the car for 10 minutes?”

Replying in the affirmative, the girl’s mother said she sat in the car and asked about her work performance. She was told the child does not work. “I asked the girl why she does not work, but she remained silent.

“The driver also threatened that we are powerful people, which scared me,” the mother of the victim said.

Judge Shaista Kundi asked whether the girl was admitted to any school.

The defense lawyer said the girl was 16 years old, and therefore she was not admitted to any school. A Qari used to come and teach Holy Quran to the girl in the house.

The lawyer claimed that Somia did not subject Rizwana to any kind of torture and handed her over safe and sound to her parents.

The judge asserted that she would bring everything on record and that only justice would prevail in her court.

Lawyer Dastgir prayed that the girl was not employed by his client.

At this, the judge said that two days ago, Somia said she had paid money to the girl.

After the reserved verdict was announced, Judge Ms. Kundi and Somia’s lawyer exchanged harsh words.

On August 7, in a relief to the parents of the 14-year-old torture victim, the civil judge’s wife was arrested after the court canceled her bail in the case. Civil Judge Asim Hafeez’s wife, Sonia

Asim had acquired interim bail to avoid arrest on the allegations of beating and torturing the minor girl, employed as a domestic help at their house.

Source: The News

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