FOSPAH ruling against VC: Three Fuuast senate members write to President Zardari for immediate action

Three members of the Senate of the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology (Fuuast) have written separate letters to President Asif Ali Zardari in his capacity as the chancellor of the university, urging him to take immediate action following a decision of the Federal Ombudsperson for Protection against Harassment (FOSPAH), which found Vice Chancellor Dr Zabta Khan Shinwari guilty of making derogatory and discriminatory remarks against women.

The letters, authored by Senator Mehnaz Rahman, Prof Nasir Abbas and Dr Tauseef Ahmed Khan, state that the vice chancellor’s continuation in office after the FOSPAH ruling is severely undermining the moral and administrative standing of the institution and has raised serious concerns regarding the dignity and safety of women on campus.

The Senate members pointed out that the decision has been prominently reported in national and international media, while the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and the Women’s Action Forum have also voiced strong concern over the matter.

In their letters, the members stressed that the president, as chancellor, should ensure implementation of the ombudsperson’s ruling and consider removing the VC to restore the university’s credibility. They termed inaction on a matter as serious as harassment “not a peripheral issue, but a test of the institution’s ethical foundations.”

They further recommended that the university’s governing bodies be directed to introduce gender-sensitivity training, a clear code of conduct, and an accessible complaint mechanism to ensure a safe and respectful academic environment for faculty and students—particularly women.

According to the signatories, the issue goes beyond individual misconduct and pertains to the values that shape the future of public-sector universities, the protection of women, and the principles of institutional accountability. They added that timely action by the president would not only help restore the university’s reputation but also send a clear message that harassment will not be tolerated in higher education institutions.