Staff Reporter Peshawar
Two major universities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in line with the directions of provincial Governor Shah Farman has issued dress codes banning tight-fitted jeans, tee-shirts and makeup among other things.
Hazara University Dhodial Mansehra was first to issue a notification on January 6, putting the Governor’s order into effect. The notification stated, all university students, faculty and staff were thenceforth required to adhere to a new dress code policy, as prescribed by the university chancellor.
According to the policy, termed illiberal and austere by many students, girls were barred from wearing tee-shirts, fitted jeans, heavy makeup and jewelry on campus.
They could also no longer carry fancy bags or purses. Boys on the other hand, were banned from sporting tight jeans, wrist chains, long hair, pony-tails and fashionable beard cuts, on university grounds.
Following suit, Bacha Khan University in Charsadda also passed a similar recommendation in its syndicate meeting; eventually adopting the same stringent dress code polices as Hazara University.
Speaking in the regard, Dr Khadim Hussain, a local educationist, said that the policies were reminiscent of the dark ages and had nothing to do with the quality of education being offered in the province.
‘It’s like we are going back to the days of radicalization and extremism; where mature university students are being put in abayas against their own will.
Education is already inaccessible to great many of the province’s youth and instead of making it accessible, the government is focusing on such polices.
