THE recent Lahore High Court ruling on workplace harassment deserves to be welcomed for its clarity and common sense. By holding that harassment of a worker by an authority figure still counts as workplace harassment even if it occurs outside the office, the court has provided protection to working women and narrowed the space for abusers to escape accountability. The LHC dismissed a petition by a government official who was removed from service for harassing a subordinate and in doing so highlighted that harassment is defined by power, not location. When a superior uses their position to pressure, threaten or coerce a subordinate, whether through messages, visits or implied professional favours, the abuse remains rooted in the working relationship. It does not stop being workplace harassment simply because it happens outside the office.

The judgment has captured the essence of the Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act, 2010. Harassers have tried to exploit technical arguments to escape consequences. The court’s ruling shuts down one such excuse. The judgment also reinforces the role of the Punjab ombudsperson, whose findings were upheld despite attempts to challenge the process. By clarifying that ombudsperson proceedings are disciplinary, not criminal, the court has signalled that internal accountability cannot be stalled by pointing to parallel criminal cases. Both processes serve different purposes and must be allowed to run their course. Importantly, the court also recognised that harassment inquiries cannot be bound by rigid rules of evidence. Digital communication, patterns of behaviour and admissions matter. To demand near-impossible standards of proof would only silence victims and protect the powerful. The way forward now lies beyond the courts. Employers must take complaints seriously, train inquiry committees and act without delay. Governments must ensure that the workplace harassment law is enforced in letter and spirit. And workplaces must make clear that abuse of authority will not be tolerated — no matter where it takes place.

Published in Dawn, December 25th, 2025