A first-semester pharmacy student sustained injuries after she jumped from the second floor at the University of Lahore on Monday, police said.
Lahore Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Operations Faisal Kamran told Dawn that the student was originally from Narowal, adding that her parents had been asked to come to Lahore.
“She jumped from the second floor of the pharmacy department,” the DIG said, adding that for now, the incident appeared to be “a suicide attempt”.
However, he continued, police had yet to ascertain the reason behind the incident.
The official further stated that the student’s legs had been fractured, and she had been hospitalised. “Her condition is serious, but there is no severe head injury,” DIG Kamran added.
The director of emergency at Lahore General Hospital, Dr Yahya Sultan, also told Dawn that the girl was brought to the facility in a “serious condition” and she had sustained a minor head injury.
“There are profound chest injuries on the right side,” he said.
DIG Kamran said that according to the initial information collected thus far, it was discovered that the student was talking to someone on the phone around half an hour before the incident, but no further details were available yet.
“She jumped during the call,” he said.
The DIG said police had taken the girl’s mobile phone into custody, which was locked. “We are waiting for her medical treatment to end, following which we will ask her for her password so that the phone can be checked. Otherwise, we will get an analysis conducted,” he added.
The official said an investigation of the incident was under way and nothing could be said for certain at this point.
A first information report of the incident has not been filed so far.
DIG Kamran said it was up to the girl’s parents whether they wanted to file a complaint.
Meanwhile, the University of Lahore decided to suspend its on-campus classes.
A notice issued by the office of the varsity’s registrar on Monday, a copy of which is available with Dawn, said: “It is hereby notified for the information of all concerned that, in order to secure the campus buildings and ensure the safety and well-being of students, all on-campus teaching activities of the University of Lahore shall remain suspended.
“Accordingly, all classes scheduled today are called off and all academic activities will be shifted to online mode from Tuesday, January 6, 2025 until further orders,“ it added.
DIG Kamran told Dawn that police had spoken with the university’s administration, which had decided to suspend on-campus classes.
He said the administration had conveyed to the police that they were also considering installing fences on every floor or deploying staff to ensure safety and prevent the occurrence of such incidents.
Today’s incident comes less than three weeks after a 22-year-old Pharm-D student died after jumping from the fourth floor of the University of Lahore’s building on December 19 last year.
Family and classmates claimed that the student faced humiliation after low attendance in one subject. They said his entire semester could have been wasted despite the payment of his fee.
About the Author
