*ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday issued directives for removal of Federal Ombudsman for Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplaces Kashmala Tariq’s message from a booklet.*
“The Registrar of the office of the Ombudsman is directed to remove the introductory message of the learned Ombudsman from the Booklet because it is misleading and contrary to the Act of 2010,” ruled an IHC bench comprising Chief Justice Athar Minallah.
He gave this verdict on a number of petitions challenging the ombudsman’s powers to entertain certain cases.
The booklet stipulates laws and rules relating to protection against women’s harassment at the workplaces.
“The introductory remarks of the learned Ombudsman in the Booklet further affirms that the expression ‘harassment’ has been grossly misinterpreted by extending the meaning beyond the definition contained in section 2(h) of the Act of 2010,” reads the verdict.
“The introductory remarks of the ombudsman in the Booklet are misleading and in violation of the legislative intent in enacting the Act of 2010.”
The bench observed all the cases at hand involved acts, attitudes, conduct or gestures that are not of a sexual nature and therefore, did not fall within the jurisdiction of the ombudsman who should not have entertained the theses complaints.