COMSATS Univesity in Islamabad, Pakistan, has come under fire after one of its faculty members encouraged students to write an essay on incestuous relationships. The uproar arose after a picture of the university test paper went viral on social media.
پاکستان کی اعلیٰ یونیورسٹیاں پاکستان کے نوجوانوں اور ہماری ثقافت اور مذہبی اقدار کو تباہ کرنے کے مشن پر رواں دواں!
— Shehryar Bukhari (@ShehryarReal) February 19, 2023
LUMS میں گنگا جمنی تہذیب کو فروغ اور COMSATS میں بھائی اور بہن کے درمیان جنسی تعلقات کی تعلیمات!#امپورٹڈ_حکومت کا #امپورٹڈ_پاکستان pic.twitter.com/KYlywzhDl5
The question paper asked students to write an essay about the incestuous relationship between a brother and a sister. The images of the paper spread like wildfire on social media platforms, with netizens demanding strict action against the teacher.
Following the uproar, the university administration informed the Ministry of Science and Technology that the services of a faculty member who had asked the contentious question in the English composition exam had been terminated.
In a letter dated February 2, the university said, “[An] inquiry against the content of the quiz of English Subject of BEE, 1st Semester Course Code HUM 100. I am directed to refer to the Ministry of Science and Technology letter dated January 19, 2023, on the above subject and convey that action on the matter has already been taken and the service of the Lecturer (visiting faculty) has been terminated with effect from January 5, 2023.” It further said that faculty member has also been blacklisted.
The university responded after Pakistan’s Ministry of Science and Technology took note of the offensive content of the BEE quiz. “The content of the quiz is highly objectionable and totally against the curriculum laws of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and caused unrest amongst the families of students,” read the letter sent to the varsity by Pakistan’s Ministry of Science and Technology on January 19, 2023.
The ministry demanded that the institution initiate an investigation and take stern measures against those guilty. The ministry had given the university administration a week to submit the inquiry findings to them.
According to reports, Assistant Registrar Naveed Ahmed Khan acknowledged that a “very unpleasant question” was asked to BEE English Composition students.
He claimed that the rector held a meeting the next day and requested the faculty member to explain why he had asked such a “stupid question” to students. He stated that the faculty member admitted his mistake and that the CUI terminated his services.
“What else could we do? His services were terminated, and the quiz was retaken,” he stated, adding that the faculty member plagiarised the question from Google.
