A university lecturer in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Malakand district has been arrested and suspended over allegations of sexually harassing and intimidating a female student, it emerged on Sunday.

Speaking to Dawn.com, Additional Deputy Commissioner Malakand district, Azhar Zahoor, said that the suspect has been arrested following the registration of a complaint.

“The suspect is in jail, while further investigation is still underway,” he said.

According to a first information report (FIR) filed on February 4 at Malakand’s Pull Chowki police station, a copy of which is seen by Dawn.com, a woman from the area reported that she was a student at Malakand University’s Urdu department. The case was registered at 4:40pm, with the time of the incident stated as 3:30pm.

The FIR invoked sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 365B (kidnapping, abducting or inducing woman to compel for marriage etc), and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

The FIR also included sections 452 (house-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint) and 511 (punishment for attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or shorter terms) of the PPC.

In the complaint, the woman alleged that the lecturer entered her home on the day of the incident, forcibly held her hand, and tried to drag her away in front of her family.

She added that the suspect left after threatening her with “dire consequences” if she refused to marry him.

The complainant alleged in the FIR: “One of the teachers […], a resident of Peshawar, has been following me for the past several months, trying to harass me and attempting physical assault. I reported this to the university management several times.”

Reiterating details stated in a press release issued by the university earlier, Khan said a meeting of the varsity’s Anti-Harassment Committee was held, where the victim was personally heard.

“The committee will formally submit its report with recommendations to the university syndicate for further decisions,” Khan said. He emphasised that the university has a zero-tolerance policy for harassment and aims to maintain a safe, fair, and transparent educational environment.

“The University of Malakand is committed to ensuring an impartial investigation and the case will be taken to its conclusion in light of all the available evidence,” the press release stated.

Separately, according to a notification issued by the KP CM’s secretariat, an inquiry committee comprising Additional Secretary Administration Department Asif Rahim and city police officer Sonia Shamroz was formed to “inquest into the complaints of alleged inappropriate events” at the university.

“The committee will visit the spot and gather relevant facts and statements from all parties involved,” the notification said, adding that “it may call assistance from any person or department or organisation”.

“DC and DPO Lower Dir will provide administrative support to the committee,” it said.

The notification said that the committee would submit a report within 15 days on the evidence, and if required, would ask the relevant authorities to register a formal case or propose proceedings.

In September last year, an assistant professor at Government Degree College in Malakand accused the pro-vice chancellor of the University of Malakand of subjecting him to severe physical torture.

On the other hand, the pro-vice chancellor had lodged an FIR against the complainant, accusing the latter of repeatedly threatening him with dire consequences.

The University of Malakand also saw sit-ins and exam boycotts in June 2024, when a student died in a road accident after being allegedly expelled from the hostel over playing rabab on the campus.

Artists and youth had also staged a musical protest as they demanded the dismissal of top officials of the university for their alleged misbehaviour and for mentally torturing the student.