Professor Rashid Scandal Gomal University D I Khan -
Professor Rashid is a family man. His evenings, after the Asr prayer, are often spent in the company of his grandchildren. Here, entertainment is simple: a board game of Ludo , a storytelling session from the Puran Bhagat folktales of the region, or simply watching a cricket match on a modest LED television. Pakistan Super League (PSL) season is a genuine event; he and his sons will crowd around the screen, analyzing a Shaheen Afridi yorker with the same intensity they would a scholarly footnote. On rare weekends, he takes his family to the Gomal Zam Dam, a short drive away. The still blue water against the brown mountains provides a serene picnic spot—a place for quiet reflection and a flask of qehwa .
For Professor Rashid, Gomal University is not merely a workplace; it is the epicenter of his social and intellectual ecosystem. The campus, with its sprawling, sun-bleached buildings and eucalyptus-lined paths, provides a semi-autonomous world. His lifestyle is therefore profoundly campus-centric. Mornings are for lectures and office hours. He engages with students from districts like Tank, South Waziristan, and Zhob—young men and women (though the gender dynamic remains traditionally segmented) for whom a university degree is a ticket to a different future. He is known for his "chalk and talk" method, but interspersed with qissas —anecdotes from his own student days in Peshawar or a trip to London for a conference. This narrative style is his primary entertainment within working hours.
Professor Rashid’s lifestyle begins before dawn. In D.I. Khan, the early morning offers a brief, precious window of cool air before the sun unleashes its full authority. He is an early riser, performing his Fajr prayer as the call to echo from the city’s mosques, including the historic Shahi Masjid. This spiritual anchor is non-negotiable. Following this, he retreats to a modest veranda overlooking a small garden—a rarity in this arid climate, maintained with care. Here, with a cup of sab chai (the local green tea, unsweetened and spiced with cardamom), he reads. It is not frantic grading or administrative emails, but deep reading: a journal article on postcolonial theory, a few pages of Allama Iqbal’s poetry, or the latest issue of The Herald . professor rashid scandal gomal university d i khan
A figure of his stature cannot escape the social web of D.I. Khan. He is frequently invited to baraats (weddings). These are not quick affairs but multi-hour commitments, the primary entertainment being the dhol (drum), the attan dance (performed by younger men, he mostly taps his foot), and the lavish meal. He also attends milads (religious gatherings) and jirgas (councils) when his academic opinion is sought. These events blur the line between duty, lifestyle, and entertainment; they are the social glue of his existence.
Lunch is a ritual. He avoids the faculty canteen’s fried fare. Instead, he brings a tiffin prepared by his wife: a simple portion of roti , a sabzi like karela or bhindi , and perhaps a slice of mango in season. He often shares this with younger, unmarried faculty members, offering not just food but mentorship. These lunchtime discussions, held under the shade of a beri tree, range from departmental politics to the quality of the latest Pakistani drama serial (a guilty pleasure he rarely admits to) to the geopolitical implications of the Afghan border situation. Professor Rashid is a family man
His primary recreation is the weekly mujlis (gathering) at his home. Every Thursday evening, three or four like-minded colleagues—a historian from the Arts faculty, a political scientist, and a retired civil servant—gather on his veranda. Over plates of saag and makai ki roti in winter or samosay and pakoray in monsoon, they debate. The conversation is rigorous, often louder than necessary, covering everything from the latest IMF agreement to the nuances of Pashtunwali. There is no television blaring; the entertainment is the cut and thrust of ideas. Occasionally, they recite poetry—a couplet by Faiz Ahmed Faiz or a humorous verse by a local poet. This is his opera, his theater, his weekend blockbuster.
Professor Rashid of Gomal University is not a celebrity academic nor a lifestyle influencer. He is a pillar of his community, living a life of quiet dignity in a corner of Pakistan that the mainstream often overlooks. His entertainment is found in the rustle of a book page, the spirited debate over tea, the laughter of a grandchild, and the respectful nod of a former student who has become a civil servant. His lifestyle is a testament to the idea that a rich life does not require a rich environment—it requires a rich mind and a rooted heart. In the measured cadence of his days, from the Fajr prayer to the evening mujlis , Professor Rashid has found not just a routine, but a philosophy. And that, perhaps, is the most profound entertainment of all. Pakistan Super League (PSL) season is a genuine
To paint this picture honestly, one must note the constraints. The lifestyle of Professor Rashid is shaped by an environment of limited resources. Internet connectivity is patchy; accessing JSTOR or a Nature paper can be an exercise in frustration. The nearest city with a proper bookstore is Multan, three hours away. There is no cinema, no live music venue, no art gallery. Entertainment must be generated, not consumed.





