Islamabad: Responding to reports of abuse and harassment against the CEO and commandant of a private cadet college in Hummak, the Child Protection Institute (CPI), in collaboration with the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration, conducted a raid and recovered 11 female students from the college hostel.
The raid was led by CPI Director General Rabeea Hadi alongside Assistant Deputy Commissioner Mehreen Baloch. During the operation, the team inspected the hostel facilities and found the environment ‘unsuitable’ for healthy living. Besides that, there is no separation between the boys’ and girls’ hostels. The team, which also included Area Magistrate Kamran Saghir and CPI Child Protection officers, met with the hostel’s female warden and a young teacher who was only a graduate. “We are currently evaluating the hostel’s standards and the rules under which the college is registered. Meanwhile, the girls have been removed from the premises. Medical examinations have been conducted and the reports confirm signs of bruising on the students, even a month after the reported incident,” stated DG CPI Rabeea Hadi. She said that the girls registered complaint with CPI through helpline 1121.
According to the statements of girl students, the issue started with a request for an outing similar to those regularly arranged for male students. The female students described the hostel conditions as cramped, lacking any space for recreational activities. The outing was scheduled for September 15 but was cancelled at the last moment, causing frustration among the girls. The girls gathered in a room and started discussing the disappointing attitude of the administration. The junior teachers reported the incident to the male administration, seeking disciplinary measures. Fearing punishment by the male staff, the girls locked the room from inside and insisted on the presence of female warden before engaging with the male staff. Instead, the male staff forcibly broke down the door.
Following this, the commandant allegedly assaulted the girls with a stick and forced them to perform approximately 300 repetitions of a sit-stand while continuing the physical punishment. The college’s CEO, reportedly also punished the girls, using a pipe. The students were then confined to the hostel for 23 days, forbidden from contacting their parents.
Published in News Daily on 15-OCTOBER-2024.
