'Not on grounds, not even on roads': University bans mixed gatherings of students

Gomal University, situated in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan district, has placed a complete ban on mixed gatherings of students on varsity premises, in a bid to avoid any “untoward incident”.

"It is notified for all the concerned that gathering/coupling (Male & Female) is totally Banned in any ground, roads etc. beyond the premises of department," the varsity said in a notification.

The university also directed “female students” to be careful and limit themselves in their classrooms and the department’s common rooms.

“Strict action would be taken against those students, violating the rules,” warned the varsity.

According to the university administration, the decision would help provide a better and safer environment for female students.

It is pertinent to mention here that the university had imposed a Rs5,000 fine on two students of its Institute of Computing and Information Technology (ICIT) Department for listening to music while classes were in session last year.

Then chairman of the ICIT Department said the two students had been playing music on a Bluetooth speaker in a teaching area of the varsity.

He had added that their action, "disturbed the classes ongoing in the department at the time".

“Both students were warned multiple times to stop [the music] and were fined when they did not pay heed to the requests,” the chairman had said.