Thread by @BurhanULhaq

How draconian is NUST? Here's my story, which I'm able to tell 9 years after graduation.

This is going to be a long thread. I'm sure people might have a lot more to add, but bear with me.

It was the summer of 2010. I had cleared 6 semesters. I was heading the photography society, next in line for the head of IEEE student chapter, heading the environment club, heading the student-alumni liaison committee, a part of sports and adventure club,

designer and writer for the campus newsletter, and designer and editor of the alumni magazine.
Even though I was a civilian student who was studying there on open merit ( a position holder in entrance test) & paying all my fees, we were still governed by the "cadets' batallion".

The head of the cadets' batallion was the batallion commander or BC. (I kid you not).

There was a new BC in town those days. Colonel F*** (censoring names. Sorry). He took away all the TV sets from student hostels because "a student should not watch TV".

He passed the infamous "gender mixing" order whereby male and female students couldn't sit together or he would not only fine them but also call their homes.

Imagine being a daughter's parents in Pakistan and getting a call from an admin person in the university that "apki beti larkon k sath bethi pakri gayee hai". Any girl talking to a guy had a "character problem".

Even two male students sitting on the same bed together for combined study or even watching a movie was made illegal because "it brings bad thoughts to their minds".
Girls without dupattas would get fines and for boys, even wearing barmuda shorts in their own rooms was illegal.

He made sure these orders were followed, by conducting midnight surprise "raids" on the hostels.
This guy even called a junior's house and told his parents their son was being gay.
Called another guy's guardians and said "your son was found gender mixing with 6 girls"

was foolish enough to challenge him on a lot of these things. Requested him to reinstate the TVs, requested him to look again at gender mixing and so on.

Then one day, I wrote a blog post, calling the religious extreme and the army out on how these institutions have played their part in weakening the society in Pakistan. I also praised the jawans for their sacrifices and their sense of duty towards the nation.

The BC read it and I was given strict orders to take it down or face consequences. I took it down.

Back to summer of 2010. It was the holidays and I along with 6 other students had arranged free microcontrollers classes for the new batches because the study pace was too fast for newbies and this would be a good opportunity for them to learn.

Around that time, the BC passed orders that no male student was allowed to sit on the benches outside the cafés because "the gate of the girls hostel is visible" from there. All previous EME people know what I'm talking about.

Another senior of mine had just graduated and was staying in the hostel (almost alone) because the school asked him to train the next batch on his final year project, to maintain continuation. This senior was about to go to an Ivy League school for his master's, by the way.

One day, he ordered a burger from the cafe and sat outside on the benches to eat (the benches that were now designated as female only sitting areas). One of the staff saw him there and complained to the BC.

The BC called him to the office and the senior explained that the campus was empty and there was no other place to sit and eat comfortably in the heat. The senior was given a letter that asked him to leave premises within 24 hours.

Also condemned him for "wearing jeans and being a bad example to students". The guy took the notice, scanned it and put it up on his Facebook.
Hilarity ensued as his classmates started making fun of it and thanking God for graduating and not dealing with the place anymore.

Everyone started joking. When I saw the letter posted there, I commented that there was nothing he could do. He was clearly angry so I jokingly remarked "you should put yellow tape around the perimeter that says crime scene, do not cross".

Someone joked that his only option might be to lead a revolt. I joked further and said he should totally get the DG EME to join the revolt because it would "look cool". The guy was forced to leave and that was the end of it.
Or so I thought.

Two days later I get called into BC's office and am notified that there is an enquiry against me for "defaming the institution and inciting a revolt". I'm baffled, but not only this, the BC threw several verbal abuses at me because I had made fun of his mustache too

(he had a mustache bigger than Jamie Hyneman from Mythbusters)
I was told I would still teach the FREE course that I initiated and will go to "disciplinary committee hearings" too. A three member EME disciplinary board (with two army personnel) sat down and found me "guilty"

My case was forwarded to NUST HQ H12.

The 7th semester had started by now. Got a call one day that my CR and I were to appear at NUST HQ in front of a disciplinary committee. I realized the guy sitting with me was not my CR but another classfellow who was an army cadet.

The guy told me that he was specifically asked by EME administration (The BC and an HoD of another dept who was a brigadier) to testify against me and tell them he was our CR. (He was not, but they were his army seniors what could he do)

After hearing at H12, I didn't hear anything. Then on the night of our mids at 2am, I get a call from the BC telling me I was relegated and that I should get my letter from his office and if I try to appear in the exam I will be "dragged out of the hall and humiliated".

While getting my letter in the morning I was also threatened with serious consequences and expulsion if I were ever to disclose what had happened to any media outlet. I was devastated, but could not do anything.

I was also asked to step down from all extra curricular posts and sign a letter stating I would never take part in any extra curricular activities again.
Later that day, I went to my HoD and asked if I could still work on my Final Year project, without credit,

as I planned to carry it forward the next year. He told me to get my face out of his office and threatened "if I see you around the campus again, I will make a fake cheating case on you and expel you".

On all official forums, I was presented as an example and fabricated stories about me started circulating on campus that assassinated my character. Students were even told to cut off all communication with me or they will face consequences.

It is worth noting that throughout this ordeal, I still had teachers that supported me. I had lost all hope but I owe my degree to these gems who lent me a hand when I was down. Theywould come to me and say things like "some people forget they have to die one day".

I could still see my whole career getting destroyed, started having panic attacks, nightmares, and my physical health deteriorated. I started stress eating and gained over 30kgs in a year.

Instead of wasting the year, I started an internship. The BC got to know of this and then expelled me from the hostel too because I was a "bad influence". Some teachers helped me find a place for my internship.

Then one day I had to go to the college to get some paperwork done and was denied entry. My name was there on the board at guard room that said "aglay saal tak Burhan ul Haq ki entry banned hai"

I was relegated, socially boycotted, character assassinated, and now even banned from entering the institution that had promised me and my parents to "defining futures". I could see the future they were defining for me.

I spent the year coping with everything, keeping my head down, and just keeping to myself.
The nest year, I resumed my degree and was told I still could not be in the hostel. I went to the BC and begged for a place in the hostel.

After 3 months, he granted me permission to stay. It was during that time that a student facing similar circumstances jumped off his hostel building and committed suicide. I saw his dead body lying there on the road. I was devastated.

Called home and cried for half an hour while my parents tried to console me. It could have been me, but somehow it wasn't

I have been suffering from depression since I was 16. The BC knew it and never shied away from making fun of me by saying "yeh sab dramas hain".

The authorities still made sure the news never got out. An "investigation" was carried out that blamed the student for his own suicide. "He had falling grades, didn't offer prayers, and was not religious".

I hear his parents were made to sign an NDA of sorts before their child's body was handed over. I'm not sure about that though as nobody was allowed to even talk about it.

Final semester at NUST, I'm getting back to life, and go home on Eid holidays. I come back to find there's ABSOLUTELY NOTHING in my room. It has been swiped clean. Everything I own is missing.

I went to the Battalion office, and am told my room must not have been locked and the bearers of the hostel must have taken it thinking the room was vacated.
My room was locked, with TWO locks. I still had the keys.

I was told once again to shut up and complete my degree and to not "fuck it up" towards the end. I lived on borrowed clothes from other students for a couple of weeks till I had a chance to go home and get more stuff to live.

After all this, these people were STILL not satisfied. The BC met me one day and said "I'm not done with you. I'll make sure you can't get a job anywhere and you can't do a master's anywhere". I didn't understand it back then till our final semester results were displayed.

EVERYONE in my department got an A in their final year projects, with the exception of two students who got a B+. I got a C. That took my GPA down so much I couldn't get admission in Masters anywhere except NUST itself.

I was then told that I'm not allowed to be at my own convocation. That's something o never told my parents even. Still remember my mother fighting with me when she found out it was our convocation day and I kept it from them. I just said I didn't feel like going.

9 years have passed. This story is still painful. Those were the darkest days of my life. I am still thankful to those few teachers who reached out and made sure I was doing okay, even if they were scared themselves.

I have decided against naming any names because I'm still afraid of the consequences, and because a lot of good people still teach at the place and it could potentially ruin their careers too.

Recently met a NUST professor at a Media Information Literacy conference. He was still talking about how universities should monitor all social media activities of their students. The students were still scared. And he was still a champion of internet policing.

Thank you for all the messages of support.
I'm at a much better place in life finally.
Yes, I still sometimes get the panic attacks. Yes, I'm still on anti depressants, but I'm making something out of my life. They tried to break me, yet here I am!

To all the current NUST students,

Please stop retweeting or commenting. It's not worth it. They have the power to ruin your careers.

Take care of yourselves. Do not give in to your emotions. Do not act irresponsibly.

Compile @threader_app