ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi directed Federal Ombudsman for Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace (FOSPAH) to decide matter of alleged sexual harassment at Air University, Islamabad afresh by affording opportunity of hearing to both parties.

President noted that Ombudsman had previously not given an opportunity to parties, including opportunity to produce evidence and had rejected complaint of woman complainant in slipshod manner, President Secretariat Press Wing said in press release.

President gave these remarks while deciding on case where woman employee of Air University had filed complaint before FOSPAH that she faced workplace harassment at hands of senior university official in 2019 when she reported serious matter of MBBS students using drugs in college premises and their involvement in immoral activities. FOSPAH had rejected her complaint by stating that complainant had failed to prove her case beyond reasonable doubt and that complainant had leveled allegations of general nature.

President said that denial to afford opportunity of producing evidence was violation of Article 10-A as enshrined in Constitution, provisions of Protection Against Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2010 and principles of natural justice.

He noted that Ombudsman, instead of following procedure had drawn conclusion on basis of contents of complaint by observing “Complainant has levelled allegations of general nature against administration and that representative of organisation appeared and told that none of complaints had been ever filed and he belied stance of complainant.”

No opportunity of producing evidence or cross examining representative had been afforded to complainant despite fact that in preliminary order, learned Ombudsman had observed that allegations leveled by complainant were of grave nature which required evidence, but subsequently with utter disregard of this preliminary order, no evidence was recorded and complaint was rejected in slipshod manner, he added.

Published in The Daily National Courier, April, 10 2023

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