• President upheld the penalty of “dismissal from service” and the fine of Rs 5 lac each to the CFO and PD  of the Commissionerate Afghan Refugees, Peshawar
• He said that such individuals not only tarnished the image of their agency but their country as well.
• Two female officials of the Commissionerate Afghan Refugees,  had jointly filed a harassment complaint under section 8 of the Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace

ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi has upheld the penalty of “dismissal from service” and the fine of Rs 5 lac each to the Chief Finance Officer (CFO) and Project Director (PD) of the Commissionerate Afghan Refugees, Peshawar after the charges of committing sexual harassment against two female colleagues were proved against them.

While rejecting the representation of the two accused officials against the decision of the Federal Ombudsman for Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace (FOSPAH), the President said that such individuals not only tarnished the image of their agency but their country as well.

In his decision, the President wrote that such incidents were among the major reasons for women feeling reluctant to work as their public space was limited and they were not safe as such individuals harassed them in the workplace, besides using their authority for coercion.

The President also rejected the stance of the accused officials that the female employees had levelled the charges of sexual harassment against them due to previous enmity and grudge.

“No lady takes the risk of filing false complaints of sexual harassment against a male colleague in the organization as such a complaint in essence is detrimental to her own modesty, integrity and reputation”, he added.

The President observed that the two accused had not assailed the veracity of the stance of complainants by not cross-examining them and it strongly supported the charges of the complainants against the accused.

The President held that the FOSPAH, by taking into consideration the full account of the material on record, had come to the conclusion that the accused had been in dominant position to misuse their authority to exploit comparatively weaker and junior lady complainants and according imposed the major penalty.

The President upheld the order of FOSPAH imposing the major penalty of “dismissal from service” and fine of Rs 5 lace to each accused and rejected the representation of the two accused officials.

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As per details, two female officials of the Commissionerate Afghan Refugees, Peshawar had jointly filed a harassment complaint under section 8 of the Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act, 2010 before FOSPAH alleging acts of sexual harassment by the CFO and  PD of the said department.