KARACHI:
The Department of Business Management remained closed for the second consecutive day on Tuesday after the student body continued its protests against the expulsion of a female student from the administration who had alleged that she was harassed by university staff. The protest began on Monday, leading to the suspension of physical classes, but online classes were held,
A wave of student backlash and a campaign against the administration’s decision gained traction on social media, ultimately forcing the IoBM to reverse its decision and reinstate the student. Confirmation regarding the revised decision by the administration was given to Express by the university spokesperson who also mentioned that ‘the IoBM will reopen for regular classes from Wednesday’.
It may be mentioned that the IoBM administration changed its controversial decision on the student’s expulsion three times within a few days. Initially, the student was expelled for allegedly ‘misbehaving’ with the administration. Soon after, the IoBM withdrew the expulsion order and instead suspended the student for one semester. But as the public backlash continued, a third and final decision was announced Monday, reversing the previous two and allowing the student to immediately resume classes.
Read: IOBM expels, reinstates students after student protest against university’s mishandling of harassment allegations
The problem started when the student alleged that she faced inappropriate behavior from a person associated with the transportation department. The student lodged a complaint with the university’s personnel department regarding the incident and meanwhile her family also arrived and joined the protest. But instead of taking action against the implicated employee, the IoBM took disciplinary action against the student and canceled her admission.
The case surfaced on social media, sparking outrage and prompting students to protest the administration’s actions. In response, the university suspended classes on campus to address the situation. Despite this, students still gathered outside the administration building. With increasing pressure, the IoBM reinstated the student. It also stated that the employee’s services had been terminated. The university spokesperson mentioned that the employee in question was not a direct university employee, but worked under a third-party contract.
When Express asked which of its three decisions the university would justify, the spokesperson stressed that ‘IoBM has a comprehensive anti-harassment policy and it is fully implemented’.
