IoBM moves classes online as students protest expulsion of harassment victim

The Institute of Business Management (IoBM) Karachi has moved all classes online after students announced a protest on Monday against the expulsion and alleged mistreatment of a female student who had reported a harassment incident to the management.

Protests have been ongoing on campus for the past week, with students demanding the reinstatement of the expelled student and urging the administration to unfreeze her semester.

In a post on Instagram, students called for a peaceful demonstration in front of the administration building at 12:30 pm, requesting participants to remain calm while registering their protest.

According to reports, the female student, who complained of harassment on campus, was allegedly mistreated by the university administration, which accused her of misbehaving with staff instead of addressing her complaint.

Social media posts and details shared by lawyer Jibran Nasir claim that the university took disciplinary action against the victim rather than the alleged harasser.

The administration reportedly threatened to freeze her semester unless she issued a public apology, claiming that her complaint had brought “disrepute” to the institute.

The student’s parents were also allegedly insulted during a meeting with university officials. Meanwhile, the victim has reportedly received rape threats on social media from individuals supporting the accused harasser.

As midterm examinations approach, students say the university’s decision to freeze her semester would prevent the victim from sitting for her exams. Although IoBM recently announced that it would take action against the alleged harasser, students claim no concrete steps have been taken so far.

Jibran Nasir further alleged that IoBM lacks an anti-harassment policy and has yet to initiate any formal inquiry into either the harassment complaint or the threats made against the victim online.