Everyone in Balochistan was dumbstruck when the news of the blackmailing and harassment scandal of the University of Balochistan was viral on social media. According to media reports, over 200 employees of University of Balochistan are under investigation for blackmailing the students of the University and harassing them.

through secret cameras which were installed in multiple blocks of the campus with the negative use of which private videos of the students were recorded and used to blackmail the innocent students. How shameful it is when we witness our educational institutions focusing more on things they are aimed to make the students far from.

The scandal was leaked a month ago when Balochistan High Court (BHC) directed Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to investigate the reports if the students of the varsity were being harassed. The scandal was viral after few weeks of the investigation.

According to a senior officer of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), around six cameras were installed in different spots in University_ besides the already existing official CCTV cameras_ like washrooms, smoking areas etc which were later on used as a source to blackmail and harass the male and female students of the University. He further added that twelve videos of harassing female students were traced by the FIA.

How come we expect to get qualified graduates when the system in the province itself is not qualified?

On the other hand, several female students were reported to have left the University due to family pressures after the scandal was screened on media. They [the parents] think their daughters are not safe under such institutions.

Consequently, different protests were held within the country by students to show moral support for the victims of the scandal. However, the students from different institutions of the city have been marching within the campus of varsity from the day this scandal was unveiled so as to mount pressures on the concerned authorities to bring culprits into the courts and apply capital punishment on them.

However, the students in protest inside the campus alleged the Vice Chancellor of the University as the head of the blackmailers and demanded his resignation in no time.

Interestingly, there appeared supportive responses from the political leaders of the province in the support of the students.

Sardar Akhtar Jan Mengal of Balochistan National Party Mengal also strongly voiced against the administration of the University saying that there would be zero tolerance when it comes to the honor of sisters and daughters and demanded immediate removal of the VC.

On the other hand, the members of Balochistan Assembly have condemned the heinous act and ensured for providing justice to the students.

The issue was raised by the opposition leader Mr. Sana Baloch saying, “FIR of the incident must be registered immediately. Some powerful elements do not want the registration of the case, but from the floor of representative of the people we demand to take strict and stern action against such kind of inhuman and criminal minds on immediate basis”.

Whereas, the speaker of the Assembly Mr. Abdul Quddos Bezinjo has shaped a parliamentary inquiry committee who would not only look for the current scandal, but also work on the similar issues of the other institutions as well.

The committee includes Sanaullah Baloch, Nasarullah Zerey, Syed Fazal Agha, Syed Ehsan Shah, Shakeela Dehwar, Mah Jabeen Sheran, Mir Saleem Ahmed Khosa, Mir Asadullah Baloch, Danish Kumar and Malik Naeem Bazai.

All in all, Balochistan University is the oldest higher institution in the province where students from far-flung areas come to continue their education. But, looking at the current circumstances how come parents send their children_ specially daughters_ in a place where academic records have less come upfront than records of harassment and blackmailing of the students.

The concerned authorities should make more strategies to address such issues from the root level from schools, colleges and Universities

There must be Investigatory teams in each university, college and school with more female representatives for females who ought to be subject to responsibility for the smooth running of the educational institutions. Secondly, there must be workshops for the students of overcoming harassment at least annually which can help thousands of students to get safe from being harassed or blackmailed. It is high time the government-in-rule had shown deep concerns about the education system of the province.

The writer is a former teacher at DELTA in Turbat and a student of Law at University Law College, Quetta. He can be reached at alijanmaqsood17@gmail.com and tweets at @Alijanmaqsood12