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LAHORE, Dec 23 (APP): The Lahore High Court (LHC) has upheld the decision of the Provincial Ombudsperson Punjab, affirming the dismissal of the Director of Management at a Vocational Institute in a significant workplace harassment case.
Justice Raheel Kamran Sheikh, while issuing a 17-page detailed judgment on the petition filed by Umar Shehzad, observed that women often refrain from immediately reporting harassment due to concerns over family honor, social pressure, and personal dignity. However, the court emphasized that such silence cannot be interpreted as consent, nor can it deprive women of their right to lodge a complaint.
The judgment clarified that workplace harassment is not limited to office premises. Any attempt by an officer to misuse authority to threaten a woman or coerce her into unlawful relations also constitutes harassment.
The complainant, a female teacher, alleged that the petitioner repeatedly made inappropriate advances, sent messages seeking illicit relations, and threatened to terminate her employment upon refusal. She further claimed that in September 2022, the petitioner visited her home and attempted sexual assault.
The petitioner argued that the incident did not occur at the workplace and that the complaint was motivated by personal animosity. However, the court rejected this defense, stating that the allegations fell under misuse of authority and that questioning the complainant’s character did not justify the petitioner’s conduct.
The court also dismissed objections regarding the jurisdiction of the Ombudsperson due to pending criminal proceedings, clarifying that the Punjab Ombudsperson handles disciplinary matters, which are separate from criminal cases.
Concluding the verdict, the LHC ruled that there was no legal flaw in the decisions of the Punjab Ombudsperson and the Governor, and dismissed the petitioner’s request for reinstatement.