HEC committee to probe into Lahore lecturer's 'suicide'

LAHORE: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) on Monday formed a five-member committee to look into the causes that led Lahore’s MAO College lecturer Muhammad Afzal to commit suicide, ARY News reported.

Led by the vice-chancellor of the University of Okara, the committee will probe into the matter and submit a report within seven days. It has been empowered to call any relevant person in connection with the probe.

Besides determining the causes of the lecturer’s extreme act, the probe committee will also give suggessions to avoid such incidents.

Afzal, a lecturer of English at the Government MAO College, reportedly ended his life by consuming a toxic substance last week after being accused of sexual harassment by a female student. He had written a letter to the harassment committee’s enquiry officer, Dr Aalia Rehman seeking exoneration from the charges.

According to the letter Afzal reportedly wrote a day before committing suicide, he was under extreme mental stress due to the accusations hurled at him and wanted the committee to give him in writing that he was innocent and the allegations were baseless.

He said his reputation had been hurt with his family life disturbed and wife having left him.

Addressing the inquiry officer, he wrote: “You (Dr Aalia Rehman) had said that I am absolved of all sexual harassment accusations.

But, I am still under a lot of mental stress as the news [about alleged harassment] has spread all over the college. Unless the administration gives in writing that I am innocent and all the allegations are baseless, I will be known as an immoral person.”