San Bernardino attacker was 'star pupil' in Pakistan

University officials at the Pakistani university where Tashfeen Malik studied have locked down access to her records, but those who knew her in university have spoken to the BBC.

Tashfeen Malik studied pharmacy at Bahauddin Zakariya University, in Multan, from 2007 to 2012.

On Monday, the university administration remained tight-lipped about Tashfeen's background, as Pakistani security officials took control of her university record.

Reporters were refused access to her professors and classmates on campus.

A spokesperson said there was nothing remarkable about Tashfeen Malik. "She was an ordinary student," Prof Dr Ghulam Shabbir told reporters. "We are still collecting information on her."

But away from the university, we managed to speak to a number of people who knew her there.

A professor described her as the top of her class. "She was intelligent and hardworking," said Nisar Husnain Shah.

A classmate described her as "a shining star".

"She was really into her studies, and one of the brightest students of our class," Farhan Siddique said.

Malik was apparently so good, other students used to copy her class work.

Pakistani security officials now guard the Department of Pharmacy, where she seems to have left a lasting impression.

At a university canteen, where students gather to photocopy class notes for exam preparation, we managed to get hold of some of her handwritten class work still in circulation.

A chapter explaining human organs with diagrams starts with hand-written praise for Allah.

"Trusting in Allah won't make the mountain smaller. But will make climbing easier. Don't ask Allah for lighter load but ask him for stronger back. Work hard."

It demonstrates her strong faith in God, but doesn't explain when or how she might have drifted towards militancy.

A classmate, who did not wished to be identified, said she lived on campus in a hostel during her first two years.

"She stayed in the Blind Wing of Mariam Hall, but moved off campus to her family home in the city of Multan in 2009," they said.

The university refused to comment, confirm or deny.

Reports say Malik attended a high-profile religious seminary for women in Multan run by Al-Huda International Welfare Foundation. The foundation has no militant links, but has been criticised for promoting extremist views.

A classmate of Malik said she did go there to attend lectures and class, but left after a few weeks.

Siddique said Malik mostly hung out with female colleagues. "She did engage with male classmates but was mostly reserved with us," he said.

Even though they attended the same classes for five years and spoke sometimes, he never saw her face "because she covered it with a niqab".

Another classmate, Talal Shaheer, said she did socialise with classmates over the phone and on Facebook, using an account set up under her nickname.

The account was disabled sometime after she left the university in 2012, he said.

Her friends are in a state of shock, he said.

"They are keeping a low profile because are scared and don't wish to be contacted by reporters," he said.