Islamia University Bahawalpur controversy: Punjab CM forms committee to probe sale of drugs

Punjab interim Chief Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi Monday constituted a three-member inquiry committee to investigate the sale of drugs in the Islamia University Bahawalpur controversy.

The committee — comprising Secretary Minerals Babar Aman Babar, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Amin Bukhari and DIG Raja Faisal — probe all aspects of the scandal.

It will also determine the persons involved in the incident and submit its report to CM Naqvi.

The matter goes back to the time when the university's Director Finance Mohammad Abu Bakr was arrested on June 24 after being stopped at a checkpost where the police recovered crystal ice and some prohibited pills from him. He was later booked for the recovery of the drugs, Geo News reported.

The university’s chief security officer, Syed Ejaz Hussain Shah, was also arrested by the Baghdad-ul-Jadeed police under the same circumstances three days ago. It was only after the police had confiscated the mobile phones of both the university officials that they later had the forensics done.

The inappropriate videos, images of students and officials, as well as chats, were found in their confiscated mobile phones in the wake of which the police submitted a comprehensive report to the Punjab chief minister.

As per reports, the two arrests were made after the police acted upon internal information. The university has already termed the episode “unfortunate,” stating that the institution has taken action against it.

The university also said that it had received 22 such complaints. Later, however, the Vice Chancellor Dr Athar Mehboob wrote to the Punjab Inspector General, mentioning that the police had taken illegal action against the university officials and demanded a probe committee comprising senior officials look into the issue in a transparent manner.

Denying any illegal activity, he added that people who are afraid of the university's development are trying to defame it.

The university also formed an internal committee to probe the matter ahead of which both the suspects have also been suspended. 

The university also announced to conduct a drug test of all its employees, including the VC himself — a decision taken due to the arrest of its officials.

The IUB public relations department, in a press statement, claimed that the university had adopted zero tolerance against drugs on its campus, as per the Higher Education Commission (HEC) directive and guidelines.

Police said that the forensics of the mobile phones have been completed, while records of outgoing and incoming calls made using the phones of the suspects have also been included in the report.