Is GCU’s administration backing alleged harassers?

A video of a professor being beaten by a student is doing the rounds on both mainstream and social media and has invited a myriad of views and interpretations. The details around the incident are more appalling than disconcerting, including allegations that the alleged harasser Dr Mehboob is being backed by the administration, more so by the Head of the Department, Dr Sajjad Ali Khan.

The video that went viral on March 20 featured a woman throwing hard-bound thesis books, among other things, at the professor who is trying to avoid them. Other girls in the office can be heard expressing their shock. The victim, who was later identified as Zaliha Javaid, remained unfazed, hurling abuses towards him while pulling his hair.

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University records laid out that Zaliha is an alumni-a graduate of the Biotechnology Department back in 2016. Owing to the standard education policy, in the first two years of the four-year programme, all the students have to study four courses of Compulsory English throughout the degree. This connects the dots. Many publications painted it as a case of on-campus harassment but it is evident that she was a former student.

As the video came out, many ex-students start posting about his problematic behaviour. Mariam Naqvi on Twitter posted a screenshot of a student who recalled incidents quoted by some seniors about the manipulative behaviour of Dr Mehboob and how he “promised marriage and sought sexual favours from students and then abandoned them saying his family did not agree.” Marium shared that, “being a student of this person I know.” She shared how people like him exploit young students using their power.

Shireen aka BadmaashKhatoon posted in a story on Instagram the allegation that the professor has been a harasser from the beginning and many from the literature department and the debating society knew that. “It took a woman to ruin her life to expose his vile behaviour,” she stated.

An audio clip of another former female student is also making rounds accusing that “a network of harassers” has been operating inside the university which force students to get involved in explicit activities.

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Students talked to The Current on the condition of anonymity, sharing how the professor lacked decency and was rude with them. “He does not even know how to talk properly. He fail students in bulk and exploits them. He is the reason our degrees are getting delayed,” a female student elaborated.

Former lecturer at the English Department and currently a news anchor Saad ul Hassan related, “Individuals like Mehboob Ahmed…exploit university grading systems to bolster their perceived power and proceed to harass and abuse students, causing severe mental, physical and emotional harm.”

Saad went on to allege that this is because of facilitators like Dr Sajjad, the Head of the English Department, that harassers like Mehboob Ahmed abuse students without fear of repercussions. Dr Sajjad will use his leverage “to influence students into providing statements in support of Mehboob,” according to Saad.

HOD Dr Sajjad’s statement refers to Zaliha as “the assailant” who was “accompanied by an accomplice”. In his message to his colleagues he laid out the timing of the incident and how Dr. Mehboob was subjected to a harrowing attack. He implored the faculty to join him ‘in support and solidarity to Dr Mehboob”.

The statement by the university director also lays out how violent Zaliha was. It is important to mention that he avoids taking the name of the professor but appreciates him for his professionalism. He further stated that an investigation has started.

The partiality hinted clearly in the statements coming out from inside the university raise questions and has been widely criticised.

Former student and students’ rights activist, Haider Butt from the platform of Progressive Student’s Collective wrote that, “We call for a fair investigation into the matter. The investigation should be conducted by an independent committee.”

Mohiba Ahmed, a former graduate and a prominent women’s rights activist, posted on X, “It is unfortunate to witness an important issue of sexual harassment at Government College University Lahore being reduced to dirty university politics.” She recounted how Mehboob Ahmed was notorious for his sexual exploits. “Yet he was never held accountable for his actions,” she lamented. She held HOD Dr Sajjad complicit and stressed that “he should not be allowed near this investigation.”

The investigation into the matter is the key yet the efficacy makes it questionable as the statement from Progressive Students Collective Lahore explains that, “the student body of GCU Lahore has been dealing with the administration’s ineffective anti-harassment committees and the biased result of such committees.”

Reinstating professors allegedly involved in harassment

The bottom line is this dilemma which promotes the predatory behaviour rampant in the educational institutions. In 2018 a student from the batch of 2017-2021 took up the case of a professor from the history department, Saeed Butt, who was accused of passing innuendos and sexual harassment. It took months for the investigation to start, only when the new Vice Chancellor took charge. After a number of students presented their testimonies, the result was not favourable as the professor continued working meanwhile, and even though expelled afterwards, he has resumed working with the change of the administration.  This is one example. Lecturer Javaid Bajwa from Physical Education Deaprtment ousted for the allegations of sexual harassment is reinstated as well. It is a proof that the university is at their side.

This one individual has exposed more than what was already out: harassment, manipulation of students, department politics and how the university administration plays party to this perverse behaviour by not condemning the action and the doer.