Islamabad - National Assembly Standing Committee on Federal Education & Professional Training on Thursday recommended to award exemplary punishment to all responsible involved in lynching of student at Abdul Wali Khan University.

Meeting of the committee held under the chairmanship of Member National Assembly Col(R) Dr Amirullah Marwat where apart from the agenda items officials from Abdul Wali Khan University were also present to brief the committee on incident. Weeks ago, student of the university was brutally lynched by a mob accusing him of committing blasphemy.

The agenda of the meeting included consideration of ‘The apprenticeship Bill, 2017’ by government, ‘The Sir Syed Institution of Technology, Islamabad Bill’,  briefing on Swat University reported embezzlements and inquiry report of Higher Education Commission (HEC) on it. The university officials informed the committee when the incident took place around 100 people were there but no one tried to stop the mob. Officials said that police was informed initially on the report of a lecturer but at that it didn’t took the matter serious.

However, later when a clerk called the DPO, police reached but till then the mob had caught Mashal, Abdullah and Zubair. Official told the committee that the incident took place from morning 10am to afternoon 2pm.

The committee recommended strict punishment to responsible persons including students, employees and outsiders involved in the heinous crime.

The chairman committee declaring it a cold blooded murder also recommended titling the universities under the name of national heroes instead of naming under the ideologies which promotes ethnic discrimination.

The Minister of State for Federal Education, Baligh-ur Rehman, on this occasion, briefed the committee that national curriculum is being revised in which the lessons of morals, character building and ethics will be included.

He also informed the meeting that ministry has directed HEC to call meeting of vice chancellors to discuss and control such incidents in future. The minister also said that intelligence agencies have also contacted universities to share the information on universities situation regarding such issues.

The committee on Swat University issues recommended to take queries of MNA Mussarrat Zeb in written form and directed the ministry to respond the concerns.

The committee also recommended appointing permanent VCs in the universities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on early basis.

The committee directed the officials of Sir Syed University to apply for No Objection Certificate (NOC) to avoid any operational issues in the city.

The committee approved the ‘The apprenticeship Bill, 2017’ by government.