14-year sentence for harassment upheld

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) rejected the appeal of a van driver in a sexual harassment case and upheld the session’s court decision of imposition of 14 years imprisonment and fine on the suspect.

A single-member bench comprising IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard the case on Tuesday. A sessions court had convicted and awarded 14 years imprisonment along with the imposition of Rs1 million fine on Hamid Khan.

According to details, the harassment incident took place in the jurisdiction of Sabzi Mandi police station on January 28, 2020. The driver harassed two teenage girls aged 13 and 14 en-route to a madrasa from their homes. The girls were residents of Islamabad’s Sector I-10.

Additional Sessions judge Atta Rabbani had awarded sentence to the culprit on January 18, 2021, after which the convict had filed an appeal in IHC. The state counsel said that the suspect committed a heinous act and it was good that the victims informed their parents about it and the police took immediate action.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 17^th, 2021.