A Peshawar High Court bench on Tuesday asked the federal anti-harassment ombudsperson and regional anti-harassment commissioner to submit comments on a petition of the Nowshera University of Technology’s vice-chancellor challenging proceedings against him over the alleged harassment of a female employee.
According to a report in the local media, Chief Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth and Justice Mohammad Ayub Khan directed the two respondents, including the federal anti-harassment ombudsperson and regional commissioner, to file their respective comments on the matter within a fortnight.
The bench also issued notices to the respondents on an application filed by the petitioner seeking a stay order against the proceedings against him by the regional commissioner until the final disposal of his petition.
VC Dr Qamarul Wahab has challenged the proceedings against him by the regional anti-harassment commissioner over a complaint filed by a female employee of the university accusing him of harassing her. The petitioner said the regional commissioner had no legal authority to initiate proceedings against him under KP’s Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace (Amendment) Act enacted in February.
