The punishment meted out to Director General Admin and HR Haji Adam of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) for abusing a subordinate at work by the federal ombudsperson for protection against harassment of women was upheld by President Dr. Arif Alvi on Saturday.
Despite increasing the fee imposed on the accused from Rs2 million to Rs2.5 million for sexually harassing the woman and continuing to do so while the case was still pending before the ombudsperson, the president upheld the sentence of removal from service. He suggested that the cash be handed to the woman as restitution for the suffering she had had at the hands of her supervisor.
President Alvi remarked that harassment of women must be stopped to ensure their full participation in our society. He added that due to their fear and increased isolation, women find it challenging to bring matters before forums. While upholding the major punishment of removal from service, President Alvi requested that the sum of compensation be recovered from any unpaid wages (if any), pension benefits, or other sources (property) owned by the PEMRA DG.
Harassment of women has to be curbed to ensure full participation in our society. It is difficult for them to bring cases before forums because of fear & further isolation. Public spaces have to be expanded for equal work status. I appeal 2 all to ensure respect in deeds & action https://t.co/XyWbWWQbi0
— Dr. Arif Alvi (@ArifAlvi) October 1, 2022
On January 20, 2020, the woman submitted an online complaint to the ombudsperson through her attorneys, Aaliya Zareen Abbasi and Ambreen Nawaz Chaudhry. In her lawsuit, the attorney detailed her complaints of harassment she had while holding the position of RTO at the PEMRA headquarters in Islamabad. Adam’s behavior toward the complainant, according to the attorney, changed to being unpleasant, repulsive, and degrading after she declined to perform the sexual favors he requested. They claimed that in addition to making nasty comments about her, Adam threatened her with grave consequences, including losing her job, if she didn’t comply with his shady requests.
In a nutshell, Adam argued that he had been drawn into the case by his rivals at work, claiming that no evidence of harassment had been shown against him and that he had been forced into court for personal gain. The president did mention in his ruling that he was unable to present any significant supporting evidence for the record. The accused had contacted the woman in Fakhar-ud-Din Mughal’s, General Manager PEMRA, room, where he launched a very obscene and lascivious conversation, the president said, citing the evidence that had been filed.
Dr. Alvi has also incorporated some of the discussion into the verdict. As shocking as it may appear, the chat demonstrates how Adam tormented her by discussing his sexual encounters while visiting Dubai and by proposing a brief contractual marriage to her after she rebuffed his demands. After she refused all of his verbal and physical advances, Haji Adam said it’s okay if you are of use to someone, otherwise, this beautiful body will be eaten by insects. The ruling claims that Adam then threatened to not renew her contract the next time. According to the president, he thinks that it is demonstrated beyond any reasonable question that the Complainant was harassed with verbal, vulgar, sexual, and humiliating demands by the Appellant in light of the established evidence.
The president proclaimed that it was an egregious violation of Pakistani law, particularly the Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace Act 2010, and a clear illustration of how women were discouraged from reporting harassment, even the brave ones who came forward at the risk of their reputation. Dr. Alvi stated that harassment prevents women, who make up more than 50% of our society, from working freely. He added that he would utilize the full power of the law when such issues are brought to light and are established beyond a reasonable doubt.
To fully realize their immense potential and integrate women into the workforce and the economy of the nation, we must ensure a safe working environment for the female gender. The complaint had to endure delays and multiple hearings, which the president lamented and said needed to be remedied.
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