The order to ban these clothing items was issued by provincial Governor Shah Farman and the first university to comply with this order was Hazara Univeristy in Mansehra.
The policy that the university implemented regarding dress code read that girls on campus were prohibited from wearing tee-shirts, matching pants, heavy makeup and jewelry. Boys, on the other hand, on university grounds, were banned from wearing tight jeans, wrist chains, long hair, pony-tails and trendy beard cuts.
Bacha Khan university in Charsada also imposed a strict dress code, reported Express News.
Dr Khadim Hussain, a local educationist said that these policies are extremist in nature. “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 and recommending universities to increase fee. Such actions are only deterring people from seeking education and increasing financial burden on students and parents.”
He added that universities should be tackling other important issues such as setting up committees for harassment on campuses and take action.