ISLAMABAD, Jul 20 (APP):The Federal Ombudsperson for Protection Against Harassment has upheld the core penalty of demotion imposed on a senior woman officer of a public-sector university after finding her guilty of harassment through threats, pressure and fear, while setting aside the lifetime bans imposed by the university. According to the decision, the complainant, the university's Registrar, alleged that the accused officer entered his office and insisted on taking a …
Federal Ombudsperson upholds demotion penalty, overturns lifetime ban in University harassment case
ISLAMABAD, Jul 20 (APP):The Federal Ombudsperson for Protection Against Harassment has upheld the core penalty of demotion imposed on a senior woman officer of a public-sector university after finding her guilty of harassment through threats, pressure and fear, while setting aside the lifetime bans imposed by the university.
According to the decision, the complainant, the university’s Registrar, alleged that the accused officer entered his office and insisted on taking a selfie with him.
The complainant stated that when he informed her that he had no authority over an ongoing recruitment process for a key post, her demeanour changed and she threatened to release videos of him, file a false harassment complaint against him and expose alleged irregularities to the media through her journalist husband if she was not given the posting of her choice.
The decision said the complainant had ensured the presence of a staff member in his office as a precaution, but the accused repeatedly insisted that the staff member leave the room. Feeling unsafe, the complainant discreetly recorded part of the conversation before going to the Deputy Registrar’s office, where the accused allegedly followed him. When the recording was played back, the accused admitted her conduct, expressed remorse and submitted two written apologies.
Following an inquiry, the university’s Inquiry Committee found the officer guilty and imposed the penalties of demotion, a three-year bar on promotion and lifetime bans on promotion and administrative postings.
The officer challenged the penalty before the Federal Ombudsperson for Protection Against Harassment.
Deciding the appeal, the Forum clarified that the law on harassment is not confined to incidents of a “sexual” nature and that creating an atmosphere of threats, pressure and fear also falls within its scope.
The Forum further observed that had the complainant not recorded the conversation, and had the accused instead filed a complaint against him, the likelihood was that the truth would never have come out and the complainant would have faced an unjust penalty regardless.
However, the Forum held that the Inquiry Committee had failed to give due weight to the accused’s repeated apologies and that “lifetime bans” have no basis in the law.
Accordingly, the lifetime bans on promotion and administrative postings were struck down, while the core penalty of demotion to the post of Deputy Registrar was upheld.
