By 
A day after the varsity’s chief of security was held for reportedly having crystal meth and ‘objectionable’ films and photographs of IUB students and staff, police in Lahore and Bahawalpur detained another official of the Islamia University of Bahawalpur (IUB) on drug allegations on Saturday.
A “group of teachers” at the university, however, were allegedly involved in the sale of drugs and the abuse of female students and faculty members, according to a special report by the police.
According to an FIR, City Circle police detained the IUB transport in charge and allegedly found 8 grams of meth in his possession. In accordance with Section 9(2)1 of the Control of Narcotic Substances Act 1997, police have opened an inquiry.
Another university employee was arrested for drug possession, and many organizations were established to investigate the claims.
In a similar vein, authorities detained the university’s security chief on Friday and seized multiple aphrodisiac pills and illegal narcotics from his person in addition to sexually graphic content from his phone.
Student sexual exploitation
According to a special assessment by the police, the two officials detained on drug-related charges were also engaged in extortion and the sexual exploitation of university faculty and staff.
The treasurer “confessed that he along with a group of other teachers would purchase and distribute drugs through students and organize dance/sex parties,” according to the report.
The police discovered that the “group of teachers” would kidnap girls, use them as bargaining chips, and accuse them of using narcotics (ice, alcohol, and charas [hashish]) and that he was committing these crimes with the assistance of the IUB security chief.
In addition to recovering 10 grams of ice and five aphrodisiac pills from the security chief’s wallet, the police also lodged a case under Section 9(2)1 of the Control of Narcotics Substance Act, 1997, after they stopped him at a picket at Baghdadul Jadid Morr.
According to the report, the suspect said that other instructors had joined him in “buying, selling, sharing and using these drugs” and that they had also organized “indecent” parties on and off campus with female staff members and students.
The investigative team tracked other kids for “supplying and buying drugs” after examining his cell phone. 11 university students were found to have criminal histories and be engaged in drug dealing after an inquiry. Screenshots of “objectionable pictures of the women and communication regarding the sale and purchase of drugs” were also included in the investigation report.
“An attempt to malign IUB”
Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Athar Mehboob requested in a letter to Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr. Usman Anwar that a high-level inquiry committee be formed to look into the arrests as a result of the police action against university employees.
The letter stated that IUB has a “zero tolerance policy for the use of illicit drugs as well as for sexual harassment or exploitation” and added that the allegations against the officials were “bogus”.
The IUB legal advisor requested that the police chief restructure the investigation team in a separate letter to the IGP. According to him, one person testified in both FIRs filed at the Baghdadul Jadid police station in Bahawalpur, and that person was an official who was reportedly implicated in drug crimes and was being held on judicial remand.
Because the proceedings were against the university, he also requested that the chief judge of the Lahore High Court initiate a judicial probe.
Formed probe panels
To investigate the case filed against the chief security officer for “carrying/using the contraband substance” and alleged recovery of undesirable material from his cell phone, the south Punjab Higher Education Department (HED) secretary has appointed a committee. The report is due in three days, per the secretary’s request.
IUB Faculty of Engineering Dean Prof. Muhammad Amjad, IUB Institute of Physics Director Prof. Saeed Buzdar, IUB Additional Registrar Bilal Arshad, and any other member (co-opted by the committee) make up the committee. It is headed by Director Public Instruction (Colleges), South Punjab, Dr. Fareed Shareef.
The committee was instructed to conduct a thorough investigation and review all essential material, testimony, and any available physical or digital evidence.
Separately, IUB VC Athar Mehbob has established two inquiry committees to look into complaints made against the university’s treasurer and chief security officials. Chairman of the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry Prof. Dr. Rao Saeed Ahmad headed both inquiry committees.
