The administration of the Jinnah Sindh Medical University (JSMU) has lamented the recent thrashing of a lecturer, who has been accused of harassing a student, by a mob of students.
In a statement issued, the varsity termed it a harrowing incident as dozens of students had taken the law into their own hands and thrashed the lecturer resulting in serious injuries in his upper torso.
The JSMU stated that the allegations of harassment against the said lecturer had not been communicated to the administration during at least the last six months. The administration had to rescue the lecturer with the help of police, Rangers and some staff members.
The university stated that it had taken notice of the allegations of harassment and suspended the lecturer. It added that an investigation had been initiated by the harassment and disciplinary committees which already existed as per the guidelines of the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan.
However, despite these measures taken by the university, some students incited other students and called other outsiders through social media to stage a protest against the administration. They demanded immediate termination of the lecturer along with some other members of the faculty without any investigation or due process.
They also blocked the main road in front of the university, blocking the access of patients to four health facilities in the vicinity — Kidney Centre, NICVD, NICH and JPMC. The administration tried to negotiate with the protesting students and apprised them about the measures taken by the university. The original letter of suspension of the lecturer was also placed before the student representatives, but despite all reassurances of a fair and impartial investigation that had already begun, the protesting students refused to stop their protest, after which the vice chancellor asked law enforcers to defuse the situation.
The JSMU administration said it had zero tolerance in cases of harassment of any kind, and was committed to ensuring the safety of the students, but at the same time, it could not condone the extrajudicial treatment meted out to the lecturer by the students, and would take the strictest of measures against those found to be connected with the mob violence that transpired.