Pakistani professor sacked, blacklisted for posing question about incest to engineering students in test

Comsats University Islamabad (CUI) has informed the Ministry of Science and Technology that the professor has been removed from his service after the incident triggered a controversy.

According to a letter dated February 2 available with Dawn, the university administration 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 Lecturer (visiting faculty) has been terminated with effect from January 5, 2023.”

It is relevant to note here that students of the Bachelor of Electric Engineering (BEE) of CUI were “shocked” to read a "highly objectionable" question in their recent English exam and were asked to write a 300 words essay on the topic.

What was the question?

The passage as quoted by The Print read: “Julie and Mark are brother and sister. They are traveling together in France on summer vacation from college. One night they are staying alone in a cabin near the beach. They decided that it would be interesting and fun if they tried making love. At the very least, it would be a new experience for each of them. Julie was already taking birth control pills, and Mark uses a condom too, just to be safe. They both enjoy making love. But they decide never to do it again. They keep that night as a special secret which makes them feel even closer to each other.”

When contacted, Additional Registrar Naveed Ahmed Khan confirmed to Dawn News that a “highly objectionable question” was asked to the students of the BEE English Composition paper.

He said that the rector called a meeting the next day and asked the faculty member to explain the motive behind asking students such a “stupid question”.

The faculty member acknowledged his mistake and the CUI terminated his services, he added. “What more we could do.

"His services have been terminated and the quiz has been retaken,“ he said and added that the faculty member plagiarised the question from Google.

A faculty member said that the said incident was “highly shameful and it also exposed the examination system” of the university.

“Why did the examination department and concerned department remain oblivious to this question and why were the students asked a question like this,” he told Dawn News and added that the management of the university swung into action when students raised this issue.