The Supreme Court (SC) on Saturday declared sexual harassment at educational institutions a blatant violation of law, morality and human dignity, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
In a 12-page verdict, authored by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, educational institutions were ordered to introduce a robust system to stop incidents of harassment.
The apex court said that a secure environment should be provided to the female students at these institutions. “Any institution that tolerates sexual harassment deviates from its track,” it said, adding that it was incumbent upon the heads of these institutions to make the environment at campuses safe and secure.
The SC observed that leniency in the case of allegations of serious nature could amount to encouraging the harasser.
The court ordered that an in-house inquiry committee be set up at all educational institutions. “Every female teacher should be given an opportunity to lodge her complaint.”
The SC rejected the appeal filed by a former headmistress of Faisalabad’s Government Special Education Center Shazia Iqbal.
There was an allegation against Shazia that she had allowed a speech therapist Kamran Khan to stay at the center illegally.
As per an inquiry report, Khan was a habitual harasser who would blackmail female teachers. And despite the fact that teachers repeatedly complained to her about the speech therapist’s conduct, Shazia took no action against him.
Reporter: Amanat Gishkori