News Desk |
The University of Sindh has canceled the admission of Naureen Leghari, an ex-cadet of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), on grounds that she could be a risk for other students.
Naureen, who had allegedly confessed to having received weapons training from Daesh in Syria and was part of a failed plot to carry out a suicide attack in a church in Lahore, went missing from her Hyderabad in February 2017.
On February 10, 2017, her father Dr Jabbar Leghari, a teacher at SU, had called for her recovery during a press conference. However, it later transpired that she had joined Daesh – another name of ISIS.
Naureen was not the first girl who joined the global terror outfit as there are several well-documented cases of women joining IS as jihadi brides while giving up family, education, friends, privileges.
At the time, she was a second-year student of the Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS) in Jamshoro, Sindh. She was arrested in the wake of an encounter between some militants and personnel of the local Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) in Lahore. Later, she had undergone a rehabilitation treatment under the supervision of law-enforcement agencies before being united with her family.
Intel based op by #PakistanArmy foiled suicide attack on #Easter . #NoreenLeghari was with militant & her cards recovered from site pic.twitter.com/IHxlIulprj
— Arshad Sharif (@arsched) April 16, 2017
She had resumed her studies at LUMHS, the media reported, but her father submitted an application on February 22 for the cancellation of her admission. The LUMHS registrar said that the application was accepted on March 1.
Meanwhile, she appeared in Sindh University’s entry test for the English department and was granted provisional admission. When it emerged that she was the same girl who was affiliated with Daesh, the university administration canceled her admission.
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While talking to an English daily, university’s vice chancellor said that Naureen’s name did not appear in the final list as she concealed facts and had not submitted certain documents. “I know that her admission was canceled after LUMHS academic council disapproved it for her alleged links with a proscribed outfit,” the VC was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, it has been reported that Naureen and her father has approached the Sindh High Court against the university, saying the University management could not deny her right to education under the Constitution.
ISPR Releases Naureen’s Confessional Video
In April 2017, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) released the confessional video of the young medical student claiming that she was about to target a church on Easter Day.
It had revealed that at least 64 such militants had master’s level degrees or above. As many as 70 ‘hardcore militants’ had bachelor’s degrees, while 63 had matriculation and intermediate degrees.
In the video, Naureen said that she was not abducted, adding she went to Syria by her own free will. She had described receiving suicide vests, grenades, guns and bullets from IS handlers, which were to be used in the alleged attack in a church. After receiving training and instruction from ISIS, it was reported, she married Ali Tariq, who was also working with terrorist organizations. The reports had added that Tariq was killed during the security forces raid in Lahore.
Educated Militants
Naureen was not the first girl who joined the global terror outfit as there are several well-documented cases of women joining IS as jihadi brides while giving up family, education, friends, privileges. Following her case, some experts had argued there was no reason to think that a girl would not make such choices as the atmosphere within which students and young people gravitate is dangerously close to violent extremism.
Referring to the findings of a study conducted by the Sindh’s CTD, Dawn had reported that the law enforcement agencies were familiar with cases of university students and young people gravitating towards extremism.
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While relying on sources, the paper had stated, the study considered a sample of 500 ‘hardcore militants’ in Sindh’s jails. It had revealed that at least 64 such militants had master’s level degrees or above. As many as 70 ‘hardcore militants’ had bachelor’s degrees, while 63 had matriculation and intermediate degrees.