Why MAO Lahore college lecturer committed suicide?

Lahore: A lecturer at Lahore’s M.A.O College has committed suicide after the administration of the educational institute failed to issue him a letter absolving him of sexual harassment allegations levelled by a female student.

According to BBC Urdu Afzal Mehmood, a professor of English, ended his life by consuming a toxic substance.

The deceased has left a letter which was addressed to one of his colleague Dr Alia Rehman chaired a committee which probed the allegations against him.

In a suicide note found near his body, the professor wrote that he was leaving the matter to Allah.

Police and medical report have also confirmed the incident and presence of the note found with the body.

In his letter to Alia Rehman seen by BBC, the lecturer had complained that why he was not officially informed despite committee has absolved him of charges.

He wrote in the letter he was undergoing serious mental stress due to the damage to his reputation, adding that impression about him would remain unchanged until the committee officially clear of charges.

Afzal wanted the committee to either announce its verdict in written or relaunch the probe against him in order to protect the teachers from such allegations that they might face for giving numbers on bases of students’ performance instead of caving in under pressure.

He further said that the false allegations had left her family worried. “My wife has abandoned me after declaring me a person of bad character.

There is nothing left in my life. I am known as a characterless man in college and my home due to which I am facing constant physical and emotional pain,” he was reported to have written in his letter.

Talking to BBC, Dr Alia confirmed that allegations against Afzal Mehmood had turned out to be false and she had declared him innocent in her finding report after conducting a through inquiry.

She said she had also suggested the college administration take stern action and issue warning to the student who levelled allegations against the lecturer.

Asked why the clearance certificate was not issued to the deceased, she said she was not authorized to issue one, adding that she had sent her report to the principal after completing the inquiry.
M.O.A College Principal Dr Farhan told BBC he would have issued the letter to Afzal if he had come to his office.

The principal said Afzal did not talk to him since the inquiry was completed against him, adding that the lecturer was orally informed that he had been cleared of charges.

Passing the buck to Dr Alia, he said it was Dr Alia who was supposed to resolve the matter.

He also dismissed Dr Alia’s claim that any action against the students was recommended in the inquiry report.