Dr Hafiz Ishaq, Head of the IT Department at the Federal Urdu University of Science and Technology (FUUAST), has been dismissed from his position and fined one million rupees by the Federal Ombudsperson for Protection Against Harassment (FOSPAH) in a workplace harassment case.
According to the 24NewsHD TV channel, Federal Ombudsperson for Protection Against Harassment Fauzia Waqar delivered the landmark judgement in the harassment case filed by FUUAST lecturer Arooj Malik against Dr Hafiz Ishaq on Monday.
The verdict directed that Rs800,000 be paid to the complainant as compensation and Rs200,000 be deposited into the national treasury. The university has been instructed to implement the penalties and submit a compliance report to FOSPAH by December 5, 2024.
Case details:
Arooj Malik, a lecturer in FUUAST's Business Administration Department, filed a formal complaint citing years of repeated harassment by Dr Ishaq. Despite attempts to resolve the issue informally, the harassment persisted, forcing Ms Arooj Malik to seek legal redress.
Initially, the institutional inquiry committee at FUUAST failed to address the complaint adequately, prompting the complainant to approach FOSPAH.
During the investigation, Ms Malik’s unchallenged testimony and evidence led FOSPAH to conclude that Dr Ishaq had violated the Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act, 2010.
Admission of guilt:
Notably, the accused admitted to physical harassment during the investigation and apologised to the complainant. This acknowledgement further solidified the case against him.
Reporter: Awais Kiyani