Troubling thought: LHC concern over sexual harassment claim against VC

LAHORE:

Lahore High Court on Monday expressed concern over allegations of sexual harassment by a teacher against the Punjab University (PU) vice chancellor.

Justice Farrukh Irfan Khan was hearing a petition by PU Law College lecturer Khujista Rehan who accused the vice chancellor of sexually harassing her. The counsel for the petitioner argued that the university authorities were victimising his client for raising her voice against the VC, Dr Mujahid Kamran. He claimed that the authorities had initiated a number of baseless inquiries against the petitioner, allegedly on the behest of Dr Kamran. He said the matter was pending before the PU syndicate but the vice chancellor, who was the syndicate chairman, had been influencing the proceedings.

The counsel asked the court to suspend the vice chancellor until the inquiry was finalised. Citing examples of two other PU teachers, he said they had been suspended during inquiries against them on similar charges. He said the law demanded that everyone should be treated equally.

The counsel for the university said the charge was baseless and that the petitioner had been threatening the sports director. He also presented a transcript of a telephonic conversation between Rehan and the sports director. Justice Khan sought more arguments from both sides on the next hearing, the date for which would be decided later.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 8^th, 2014.