Sexual harassment: PU vice chancellor, ombudswoman issued notices

Judge refuses to recuse himself from case.

LAHORE:

The Lahore High Court on Wednesday issued notice to Punjab University Vice Chancellor Dr Mujahid Kamran, Punjab Ombudswoman Mira Phailbus and others on a petition moved by PU Law College lecturer Khujista Rehan seeking an inquiry into alleged sexual harassment by the vice chancellor.

Justice Farrukh Irfan Khan took up the petition and issued notices to the respondents for December 3 after a brief hearing. Initially, petitioner’s counsel Advocate Aftab Bajwa asked the judge to recuse himself and to refer the petition to the chief justice for fixation before another judge, as Justice Khan’s family had an affiliation with the Punjab University.

Justice Khan, however, told Bajwa he had been misinformed.

He said that the case would be decided purely in accordance with the law.

Rehan said in the petition that she had approached Ombudswoman Phailbus to seek action against the vice chancellor under the Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace (Amendment) Act of 2012. But the ombudswoman disposed of the complaint on technical grounds without touching the merits of the case, she said, adding that Phailbus had acted under influence from the Punjab government.

The petitioner said that it was important that the vice chancellor be investigated as the matter was of public importance, particularly for female students and teachers at the university. She asked the court to suspend the vice chancellor until the petition was decided.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 14^th, 2013.