The Police have arrested another staff member of the Islamic University Bahawalpur as part of the crackdown against the people involved in possessing videos and images of students as well as obscene content. So far three staffers have been held.

The arrests began when the security advisor, Ijaz, was detained during a search. They found drugs on him. Then the Finance Director Abu Bakar was held and on Saturday after a raid ended with the arrest of Transport Incharge Muhammad Altaf.

“Upon searching, eight grams of ice [crystal methamphetamine] was found from the right pocket of Muhammad Altaf,” read a complaint lodged with Baghdad al Jadid Police Station on Saturday. “Altaf confessed to taking ice.”

The complaint was registered under the Control of Narcotic Substances Act for possessing, trading, and financing narcotic drugs.

Altaf’s arrest is the latest in the police investigation as they claimed that 400 obscene videos and images were found in the investigation process.

A forensic examination was conducted and officials have sent the report to the interim chief minister of Punjab.

Earlier, Bahawalpur’s Baghdadul Jadid police arrested the university’s Chief Security Officer Syed Ijaz after allegedly discovering drugs in his possession, along with alleged obscene content linked to the university’s female officials and students on his mobile phones. They also arrested Finance Director Abu Bakar

In the police report, it has also been revealed that the drug dealer student studying at the university was in contact with Ijaz’s colleagues.

Ijaz Shah was in police custody after a court approved his judicial remand till July 24.

‘Campaign against university’

But University’s Vice Chancellor Dr Athar Mehboob wrote a letter to IG Punjab Police and denied such allegations completely. It merits here to mention that the VC in its last statement described the development as an “anti-university” campaign.

The letter stated that the cases registered against the university officials were “false” and that a joint investigation team should be formed for a transparent investigation of the matter.

“There is an implicit attempt to defame the university,” it added.

Aurat March

On Friday, the Aurat March Lahore expressed its dismay over reports of women being “spied on, harassed, and blackmailed” at the university.

“Islamia University Bahawalpur’s ex-head of security was caught with multiple videos of female students and staff on his mobile phones,” the organisation for women’s rights tweeted.

The Aurat March alleged that all such incidents were happening while the Higher Education Commission has insisted on more cameras on campus to make the university campuses “safe”. It was of the view that the varsity administration’s decision to set early curfews for women hostels only limits their mobility, employment and freedom.