EDITORIAL: The kind of horror stories that are coming out of the Islamia University of Bahawalpur (IUB) – “group of teachers” involved in sale of drugs and sexual exploitation of female students and other teachers – bring shame to entire nation.
And the fact that officials in education facilities have been using their power to pressure and abuse students, including sexual abuse and harassment, puts the spotlight squarely on the government because this is not the first such incident to come to light. That proves, of course, that it did not set the right examples the last time(s).
Initial news reports suggest that the police was able to blow the lid off this ugly operation, if it can be called that, because one of the bad guys got caught at a picket with some meth and what the investigation is referring to as “aphrodisiac pills”.
This, then, was not a sting operation enabled by a leak from some concerned party. In fact, if it hadn’t been for pure chance, the gang of bullies now facing serious charges would still be using the university as cover for their degenerate, criminal behaviour.
The government will have to commit to this case wholeheartedly because this is just the time, when cases are filed, and investigation is being conducted, that victims are coerced into distancing themselves from proceedings. Everybody knows of all sorts of criminal cases – theft, murder, blackmail, rape – that suddenly disappeared because the evidence they knew existed was never allowed to reach the courts.
Plus, there are not just the crimes of blackmail, harassment and possibly sexual abuse, grave as they are, to deal with here.
There’s also the fact that a group of teachers, supposed guardian angels and guiding lights for students, abused positions of authority to prey on innocent and gullible young adults and stained them forever, even before they began their professional careers. Only the swiftest trials and the severest punishments can even begin to deliver true justice if that is even possible in such cases.
Authorities would have realised, no doubt, that this incident forces an across-the-land investigation of all such outfits. And as they go about righting such wrongs, they must first work on creating the sort of environment where students feel secure enough to come forward and teachers, too, should be able to answer the call of conscience without fearing for their careers or even lives.
It’s bad enough for the country’s youth. Most children are born stunted and malnourished, which deprives them of an even playing field right at birth. Then, a very large number never get to see schools, much less dream of quality education.
And most of those who attend school attend government institutions, which are not exactly known for their high standards. Imagine the shock that the lucky and hardworking ones that take this journey to university go through when they discover that they must brave drug addiction and sexual exploitation as well and keep quiet about it for fear of losing their reputations forever.
Now that this disturbing story has hit the headlines, everybody is looking to see how it concludes. Nobody will trust a state that cannot guarantee basic safety and security for their children, especially in educational institutions where they are supposed to be nurtured and trained for the tough life ahead.
Its usual way of dealing with such things, regardless of the party in power, is making a lot of noise and then withdrawing itself altogether. One can only hope that the official machinery has learned enough lessons not to repeat that mistake again.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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