PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has notified a known women rights activist and legal expert, Rukhshinda Naz, as the ombudsperson to hear complaints against sexual harassment of women at workplace.

“In exercise of powers conferred by section 7 of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace Amendment Act, 2018, the government has appointed Rukhshinda Naz as ombudsperson for a period of three years,” said the notification issued on Tuesday.

The Act was passed in 2010, but due to lack of political will and efforts to make an amendment in the law led to delay in the appointment of an ombudsperson. A women rights organisation had even filed a petition in Peshawar High Court over the delay in appointment of ombudsperson to hear harassment complaints of working women.

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2019