The Lahore High Court constituted on Friday a full bench to address cases involving the harassment of female students in the provincial capital.

LHC Chief Justice Aalia Neelum issued the directive in response to a petition from citizen Azam Ali Butt, who called for an investigation into recent harassment incidents at educational institutions in Lahore.

At the outset of the proceedings, Punjab IGP Usman Anwar said that no incidents of sexual assault had occurred at the private college in question, describing the social media campaign surrounding the alleged incident as malicious.

The IGP also presented a report indicating that an inquiry team had been formed to investigate social media platforms and identify those behind the smear campaign.

The IGP informed the court that, at the request of the Federal Investigation Agency, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority had blocked 38 social media accounts linked to harassment allegations. But the IGP acknowledged that police failed to properly manage the Punjab University suicide case, as they did not file a report under Section 174 of the CrPC. He assured the court that steps were being taken to rectify it, and a report would be submitted once completed.

The registrar of Lahore College for Women University presented an inquiry report from a committee established under the Higher Education Commission’s policy on protection against sexual harassment. But LHC CJ Neelum deemed the report unsatisfactory, noting it was only prepared after the court notice was issued.

In response, the registrar admitted that the harassment committee had convened a meeting on October 14, 2024. The chief justice emphasised the sensitivity of the issue, highlighting the importance of ensuring the safety of female students at colleges and universities. She stressed that the matter must be approached with care, as protecting female students is of utmost priority.

The chief justice directed investigative agencies to conduct their inquiries into recent incidents without causing harassment to anyone involved.

She instructed the FIA director general to appear in court with a report after investigating all social media accounts linked to the three incidents. The FIA is permitted to record student statements in the presence of their parents and educational authorities if necessary. Additionally, the chief justice urged anyone wishing to provide a statement regarding the incidents to come forward to the FIA.

Following this, she established a full bench to address the case and ordered the registrar’s office to schedule a hearing for October 22.

In a related matter, the chief justice also reviewed a petition from Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari, requesting action against individuals responsible for disseminating fake images and videos of her on social media. She ordered that this petition be heard by the full bench on October 22 as well.