By Muniba Ali
Lahore, Aug 31 (www.pakdestiny.com) Punjab University Vice-Chancellor Mujahid Kamran defended himself in a sexual harassment case against him before Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar at the Governor House yesterday.
Sources told Pak Destiny that the governor had summoned Prof Kamran to explain his position in the face of sexual harassment charges levelled against him by a PU Law College teacher.
The sources said Kamran denied having committed any ‘wrong doing’ but the governor was not satisfied.
The governor told him to record his statement before the inquiry of Higher Education Department of the Punjab government.
PU Law College lecturer Khujista Rehan had also filed her complaint with Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Punjab Ombudsperson Prof Dr Mira Phailbus on July 30, the latter wrote to Ms Rehan on Aug 20 seeking relevant record of an “unsubstantiated inquiry launched against her in 2010”, “documentary evidence” in which Dr Kamran was trying to punish her; and the record of her study leave.
Ms Rehan had filed a complaint with the governor, the chief minister and the Punjab Ombudsperson on July 30 against the VC conduct invoking the third part of the harassment definition: “causing interference with work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment” alleging that VC Prof Kamran was harassing her. Ms Rehan had also filed the complaint with the PU VC on July 26 that drew a two-page reply on July 31.
In her complaint, Ms Rehan had alleged that VC Prof Kamran was trying to punish her for refusing to his illegitimate demands. Ms Rehan had filed the harassment against women at workplace complaint following a letter issued by the PU additional registrar on July 20 seeking explanation from Ms Rehan whether or not she had used insulting and inappropriate language against the VC at the Academic Staff Association’s June 20 general body meeting, as reported by certain faculty members.
Ms Rehan had responded to the explanation letter on July 24 with a two-page reply stating that the letter sent to her was defamatory.
PU additional registrar Prof Dr Aurangzeb Alamgir later informed Ms Rehan that her reply to his July 20 letter as well as her harassment complaint would be placed before a competent body for necessary action.
With regard to harassment complaint, the additional registrar on the instruction of VC Prof Kamran had written a two-page reply levelling counter allegations besides terming the letter as malafide, malicious and replete with false statements.
Governor Secretariat’s deputy secretary Afzaal Ahmad said the governor had approved a probe into the complaint of Ms Rehan. He said the Governor’s Secretariat had also written a letter to the Punjab Higher Education Department.
Punjab Higher Education Department special secretary Suhail Shahzad said the department had sought comments of the registrar after governor’s letter.
The governor will take action in the light of the inquiry report. – Pak Destiny
