President Arif Alvi has enhaced the punishment given out to a official accused of harassment, ordering that he should dismissed from service. He added that people involved in harassment deserved ‘no leniency’.

Ahmad Nadeem, who worked as a director of human resource in the National Electirc Power Regulatory Authority, had been accused of harrasment by a woman who worked as an office assistant. The federal ombudsman had recommended that his salary increments be withheld after establishing that the allegations were true.

The woman had alleged that Nadeem would call her into his office at inappropriate times, comment on her appearance, discuss personal matters and invite her to lunch and dinner.

NEPRA’s internal inquiry had found the woman’s claims to be true and recommended that he should be demoted from director to deputy director.

However, the case then went to the Federal Ombudsman for Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace which recommended leniency in punishment. Instead of demotion, FOSPAH said that two of Nadeem’s salary increments should be withheld.

Both the accused and the complainant filed an appeal with the president after the decision. President Alvi held a hearing at the President House where the woman appeared in person. Nadeem did not appear in person and instead sent a representative.

The president ruled that NEPRA’s internal inquiry had established that the woman’s allegatinos were true. He also said that the accused had indirectly admitted to the crime and only appealed for reduction in punishment.

He therefore ruled that withholding increments or even demotion was not enough and Nadeem should instead be dismissed from service altogether.

The president also said that harassment in the workplace was a serious matter and it created an indirect pressure on women to leave offices altogther.