DEFECTIVE HARASSMENT INQUIRY COMMITTEE DECLARED VOID

Case Reference

2026 PLC (C.S.) 1
Dr. Zubaida Chaudhary (Associate Professor) v. President Islamic Republic of Pakistan & others
Writ Petition No. 3563 of 2017
Decided on: 9 July 2025
Court: Islamabad High Court
Judge: Muhammad Azam Khan, J

Statute Involved:

Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act, 2010

Appropriate Legal Analysis

1. Workplace Harassment Complaint by a University Associate Professor

The petitioner, an Associate Professor at a university, lodged a complaint alleging workplace harassment under the Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act, 2010. The matter was initially adjudicated by the Federal Ombudsman, who imposed penalties upon the accused respondents.

2. Presidential Review and Challenge Before the Islamabad High Court

Both parties filed representations before the President of Pakistan. While the representations of the accused respondents were accepted, the petitioner’s representation was dismissed, leading to the filing of the present constitutional petition before the Islamabad High Court.

3. Mandatory Nature of Inquiry Committee Under Section 3, Act of 2010

The Court held that Section 3(2) of the Act mandates the constitution of a three-member inquiry committee, comprising:

One woman
One member from senior management
One senior representative of employees

This statutory requirement was declared mandatory, not directory.

4. Illegal Expansion of Inquiry Committee and Gender Disparity

The inquiry committee constituted in the present case comprised five members, with gender imbalance, in clear violation of Section 3. The Court ruled that increasing membership from three to five was not a procedural lapse but a jurisdictional defect that rendered the entire inquiry void ab initio.

5. Failure to Conduct Meaningful Cross-Examination

The Court found that the accused respondents and their witnesses were not subjected to any meaningful cross-examination. Such omission violated principles of natural justice and fatally undermined the credibility and legality of the inquiry proceedings.

6. Duty of Organizations to Act Promptly on Harassment Complaints

Emphasizing Section 3 of the Act, the Court held that organizations are under a statutory obligation to proceed without delay in harassment complaints. Administrative silence and delay were characterized as contributors to injustice rather than neutral conduct.

7. Federal Ombudsman’s Jurisdiction in Absence of Provincial Forum

At the time of filing the complaint (2016), no Provincial Ombudsperson existed. The Court held that the Federal Ombudsman validly exercised jurisdiction, as provincial forums were only instituted after the Constitution (Eighteenth Amendment) Act, 2018.

8. Doctrine of Acquiescence and Waiver Applied

The respondents participated in the proceedings before both the Federal Ombudsman and the President without raising jurisdictional objections. Raising such objections at a later stage was termed a procedural ambush, barred by the doctrine of acquiescence.

9. Broad Interpretation of “Harassment” Under Section 2(h)

The Court adopted a purposive interpretation of harassment, holding that it is not confined to sexual acts alone. Sexually demeaning attitudes, gender-based hostility, and discriminatory conduct that creates a hostile work environment fall squarely within the statutory definition.

10. Application of the “Reasonable Woman” Standard

The Court reaffirmed that harassment cases must be assessed from the standpoint of a reasonable woman, emphasizing a victim-centric approach rather than the subjective intent of the accused.

11. Constitutional Protection of Salary and Service Rights

The judgment held that salary, perks, and service privileges lawfully accrued constitute fundamental rights protected under Articles 9, 14, 18, 25, and 27 of the Constitution and cannot be curtailed through conjecture or institutional bias.

12. Mandatory vs Directory Provisions: Test of Legislative Intent

The Court reiterated that the use of the word “shall,” the purpose of the statute, and consequences of non-compliance indicate legislative intent. Sections 3 and 11 of the Act were therefore held to be mandatory.

Key Legal Principles (Ratio Decidendi)

Inquiry committee under Section 3 must consist of exactly three members
Any deviation invalidates the proceedings
Cross-examination is essential for a valid harassment inquiry
Federal Ombudsman had jurisdiction in absence of provincial forum
Harassment includes gender-based discriminatory conduct
“Reasonable woman” standard governs harassment assessment

Summary of the Judgment

The Islamabad High Court allowed the constitutional petition, holding that the harassment inquiry conducted against the petitioner was vitiated by patent illegality. The constitution of a five-member inquiry committee, instead of the statutorily mandated three-member body under Section 3 of the Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act, 2010, was declared unlawful and jurisdictionally defective. The absence of meaningful cross-examination further rendered the proceedings void ab initio. The Court affirmed the Federal Ombudsman’s jurisdiction in the absence of a provincial forum at the relevant time and adopted a broad, victim-centric interpretation of harassment, applying the “reasonable woman” standard. Consequently, the impugned presidential order was set aside and the matter remanded for fresh consideration in accordance with law.

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