The arrest of three officials of the Islamia University Bahawalpur (IUB) in south Punjab and the alleged recovery of drugs and obscene photographs of female students from them have shocked the country. The arrests sent rumor mills into overdrive with people claiming that over 5,000 videos of students were found in the possession of the detained officials and that the group had been active for several years.

This article explains the development on the basis of a “special” police report drafted purportedly by the Bahawalpur district police officer, other government documents, and some background information received from sources.

What is the Islamia University Bahawalpur scandal?

Three officials of IUB — Treasurer Professor Abu Bakar, Chief Security Officers Major (retd) Ijaz Akram, and Transport Incharge Mohammad Altaf – were arrested between July 21 and July 22. All three of them have been accused of possessing drugs. Additionally, Abu Bakar and Ijaz Akram also face the allegation of possessing obscene videos and photos of women.

Akram was arrested first and the FIR claiming that obscene videos and images were found on two mobile phones he carried went viral. There was a social media storm. Abu Bakar and Altaf were arrested the next day, according to media reports.

The DPO in the “special report” said that local police learnt through “reliable sources that a group of professors holding different posts are involved in drug peddling, drug using, conducting dance/sex parties inside and outside of Islamia University Bahawalpur at different farm houses.”

So, the recovery of obscene videos and photographs, some of them showing IUB students and female staff, and drugs is at the heart of the issue. Officials, who were supposed to protect students, have allegedly been found exploiting them. The chief security officer (CSO) also faces charges of buying property from the sale of drugs.

Read: Islamia University Bahawalpur: 400 obscene videos, images ‘found’ as police crackdown widens

When and why did action against IUB begin?

Many people think Ijaz’s arrest was the beginning of the end.

However, the report drafted by Bahawalpur police reveals that IUB finance head, Abu Bakr, was first arrested on June 28, 2023 — at least 22 days before Ijaz was taken in.

Abu Bakar “was going on a car with a female student, a police party intercepted him at Naka Bandi Point 07/BC. Six (06) grams ice and three (03) sexual pills were recovered from him. Upon which, case FIR No.1014/23 dated 28.06.2023 u/s 9(2)1 CNSA [Control of Narcotics Substance Act] was registered at PS Baghdad ul Jadid,” the report read.

So, police were already working against the group before Ijaz was held and this is evident from the report, which says when Abu Bakr was arrested on June 28, “another car with Major (retd) Ijaz Akram, CSO of IUB and two female students on its board were following him.”

Some sources have claimed that police opened a probe against the group after it was found that they were selling drugs to the son of a powerful person. The claim could not be corroborated by officials.

Bahawalpur DPO Abbas Shah told a press conference that an across-the-board crackdown began two months ago and it did not single out any institution.

How many obscene videos and images were recovered?

The FIR registered against Ijaz Akram says the police found “innumerable obscene videos and photographs of women” on the two mobile phones they recovered from him.

The “special report” drafted by Bahawalpur police contains no mention of either videos or images, though it does contains several photographs of women found in WhatsApp chats recovered from the phones of the accused.

The report also discusses “dance/sex parties” where, it says, students and teachers participated in “drinking and sniffing.”

Read: Police say Islamia university students were asked for ‘favours’ in return for passing marks

The report says that both Ijaz Akram and Abu Bakar carried aphrodisiac pills.

It names at least five other teachers of the university who were involved with Abu Bakar “in the activities of buying, selling, sharing and using these drugs at joint parties of dance and sex in University premises as well as outside of University farmhouses with students and female staff of University.”

A police plea for the physical remand of Ijaz Akram said that he must be interrogated because police wanted to recover “objectionable videos of females and officials” besides drugs and the property he purchased by selling drugs.

Not all the videos and images found on the mobile phones of Ijaz and Abu Bakar show university students. Some of the material was downloaded from pornographic websites, says Aaj News correspondent Rana Kaleem.

What is the role of students?

The special report by police says that at least 11 students enrolled at IUB have criminal records and are involved in drug peddling.

It contains call data records to prove how some of the students were in contact with drug peddlers.

What is the role of vice-chancellor

The “special report” insinuates that IUB Vice Chancellor Mehboob Ather and Abu Bakar were connected from the days when they worked at Khawaja Fareed University in Rahimyar Khan, and it was on Ather’s offer that Abu Bakar resigned from Khawaja Fareed University and joined him at IUB.

The reporter, however, does not say that Ather had any links with the current issue.

Read: Aurat March Lahore appalled by women harassment at university

The vice-chancellor has been vehemently defending his colleague and the reputation of the university. He has said that police allegations were baseless.

However, the VC has also formed a “high-powered investigation committee” to probe the allegation against two officers of the university, a statement issued by IUB said.

The statement said Abu Bakbar and Ijaz Akram had been suspended from work pending the investigation.

What the govt is doing?

The Punjab government on Monday formed a three-member committee to probe the issue from all angles.

The committee includes Punjab IGP, DIG and the secretary mineral department.

The South Punjab Higher Education Commission has also formed a panel jointly with the IUB.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly Standing Committee on Education criticised VC Ather for his failure to appear before the panel on Monday. It recommended that warrants be issued to produce him before the committee.