Pakistani diplomat sacked for harassing woman official

Ombudsperson also imposed Rs5m fine to be paid to complainant as compensation

ISLAMABAD:

Federal Ombudsperson for Protection against Harassment Kashmala Tariq has decided to dismiss the head of mission of the Pakistani embassy in Italy after allegations of harassment were proved.

Nadeem Riaz, Pakistan’s head of mission in Italy, was accused by Saira Imdad Ali, a Grade 20 officer in the Ministry of Commerce, of harassment at the workplace.

The ombudsperson sacked Nadeem and imposed a fine of Rs5 million, which would be paid to the complainant as compensation, and directed that a copy of the decision should be sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs within seven days.

In her complaint, Saira had stated that while she was stationed at the Pakistani mission in Italy in 2018, Nadeem, who was heading it, asked her to visit other cities in other countries, which was not related to her employment.

She said that the mission head also forced her to keep her residence near his residence.

She further said that Nadeem forced her to listen to his stories on a daily basis, the language of which was objectionable.