ISLAMABAD: Members of the editorial staff working at Pakistan Television (PTV) have filed an application with the Federal Ombudsperson against Harassment of Women in the Workplace in support of Controller In charge News Athar Farooq Buttar – after six women newscasters filed a harassment case against him.

The application, signed by 80 reporters, producers, sub-editors, translators and news editors – accounting for most of the editorial staff – maintains that they (staff members) were coming to the aid of Mr Buttar not for the sake of an individual, but rather, to save the institution.

“Mr Buttar is highly professional and dedicated worker who is serving the department for the last 25 years. Not a single female co-worker or subordinate made such allegations against him during that period (sic).”

It continues: “The only issue which time and again caused tension in the newsroom, is late arrival, non-availability, wrong pronunciation and attitude of news anchors. Those who perform their duties have never found any problem with [Buttar].”

In the application, staff members urge the ombudsperson to conduct a transparent inquiry and request that no action be taken before an inquiry is completed.

Nine newscasters – three men and six women – had complained against Mr Buttar to the federal minister for information and broadcasting. The three men – Fahim Shaukat Bhatti, Zubair Siddiqui and Ziaur Rehman – claimed that the controller in charge “humiliated and mentally tortured them”, while the six women accused Buttar of sexually harassing them.

However, only the women filed formal complaints with the ombudsperson, retired Justice Yasmin Abbasi. After an initial hearing, she directed the PTV managing director to remove Mr Buttar from his post so that both parties are kept apart until a decision is reached.

As per documents available with Dawn, the evidence the newscasters have submitted to the ombudsperson so far includes their own statements and a few text messages, some of which date back to the year 2013. The newscasters had complained that cellular companies were not cooperating with them, nor providing them with the data they needed to prove the alleged objectionable communications.

On their request, the ombudsperson had asked the Intelligence Bureau to provide the relevant data to the complainants before August 16, the day she is expected to resume hearing the case.

The complaint against Mr Buttar was filed in June 2016 under the Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act, which was promulgated in 2010.

However, during cross examination, the newscasters said they did not know of the legislation, which is why they did not file a complaint under the act immediately after receiving the texts.

Video archives of the PTV Khabarnama from the day the act was promulgated on January 21 2010, contain parts of former President Asif Ali Zardari’s speech about the law and a detailed report on it. Ironically, two of the six complainants read out that particular news bulletin.

When contacted by Dawn, they said they knew of the law generally, but did not have any idea of the details.

“We have produced our case before an appropriate forum and we expect justice from that forum,” one of the newscasters said.

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2016