Teacher, student expelled from college over TikTok video get married in court

ABOTTABAD: A teacher and his young student expelled from a college for allegedly posting an “improper” video clip of them on TikTok earlier this week have contracted court marriage.

Rafaqat Hussain, a 38-year-old English teacher at the Government Postgraduate College Haripur, and his 24-year-old student Zainab Ali tied the knot at a local court with the court permission in Abbottabad, the couple confirmed to The Express Tribune.

Zainab’s mother and Rafaqat’s cousins and friends were present in the courtroom. “Today, I’m extremely happy for marrying my love,” the bride told The Express Tribune.

Rafaqat shared a copy of his nikahnama (marriage certificate) with The Express Tribune on WhatAapp. “We were in a relationship. We were waiting for our families’ consent to get married,” said Rafaqat, who is already married and has three children with his first wife.

Rafaqat is a resident of Trangrri Baffa area of Mansehra district, while Zainab belongs to Haripur district.

The 20-second clip – which shows Rafaqat and Zainab together at a local fish-point – was shared on the popular video sharing social networking service by “someone with ill-intent”, according to the couple. “Today, it has been established that we were in a serious relationship,” said the teacher.

Rafaqat said the clip wasn’t meant to be shared on TikTok, but someone hacked into Zainab’s cellphone, stole the clip and shared it on social networking portals.

The college expelled Rafaqat and Zainab after the clip went viral. “They were suspended for violating the college discipline by posting the ‘indecent’ clip,” Principal Dr Muhammad Ishfaq said.

He added that the decision was taken on the recommendation of a four-member committee which found them guilty of discipline violation. The matter was subsequently referred to the director colleges and education secretary of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa for further action.

Zainab said it was absurd to expel her for “violating discipline” because the clip was related to her private life and the college had nothing to do with it. “I’m an adult and mature enough to take decisions about my personal life,” she added. “The college administration did not consider my fundamental right.”

According to her, the college administration has not only expelled her but is also refusing to issue her a migration certificate, so that she could continue her studies at some other college.

“Me and my family are in mental distress as my studies are being affected due to the unnecessary controversy created by the college administration,” she added.