KARACHI: The provincial ombudsman for protection against harassment of women at workplaces has directed the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) Karachi to implement the recommendations of an inquiry committee that had ruled in favour of a woman lecturer in a harassment case.

Retired Justice Shahnawaz Tariq, the provincial ombudsman, also asked the executive director of IBA to designate a new competent authority to implement the recommendations of the inquiry committee.

Zahra Sabri, the lecturer, had moved the ombudsman in 2023 seeking implementation of the recommendations of three-member anti-harassment committee of the IBA.

She submitted that she lived at the visiting faculty residence of the IBA. In December 2022, the IBA registrar had given her and another female colleague, both single, a three-day notice to vacate their accommodations in view of their marital status. She said that the registrar’s order was also endorsed by the competent authority i.e. the executive director of IBA.

The institute challenges provincial ombudsman’s order before SHC

She submitted that such an act by the respondents “constituted gender-based discrimination and harassment” as the registrar had passed “inappropriate and unprofessional” remarks about their marital status, asking them “to find a husband in order to stay at the accommodation facility”.

Ms Sabri further submitted that she filed a complaint and an anti-harassment committee was constituted in February 2023. She said that the committee conducted a probe and ruled in her favour by asking the IBA to pay a compensation of Rs300,000 to her “for emotional and psychological stress she suffered as a result of discriminatory action of IBA administration which constituted harassment”.

The committee also asked the IBA administration to tender a written apology to her and to develop non-discriminatory policies with respect to the institute’s accommodation facility.

Ms Sabri informed the ombudsman that that the executive director, being the competent authority, refused to implement the decision of the committee.

In their comments, IBA officials submitted that the appeal was not maintainable as she has exercised concurrent remedies by instituting the appeal during the pendency of her complaint filed against respondents.

They also submitted that the committee’s recommendations could not be implemented since it did not give any opportunity to the senior management of the IBA to appear and defend them, which was in violation of the Harassment Policy and The Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplaces Act, 2010.

However, the ombudsman allowed Ms Sabri’s appeal and set aside the impugned decision of the IBA administration to not enforce the recommendations of the committee.

Meanwhile, the IBA has challenged the order of the ombudsman in the Sindh High Court and a two-judge bench is likely to take up the matter on Thursday (today).

Published in Dawn, June 26th, 2025

This matter was taken up by the Sindh High Court on June 26, 2025. The implementation of the ombudsman’s order was stayed by order of the court, subject to a final decision on the petition.