ISLAMABAD
Supreme Court (SC) has observed any educational institution that tolerates harassment deviates from its educational mission.
“Students are taught that power is justification for irregularity and staying silent over truth is better. Sexual harassment of the female teachers by their male colleagues in educational institutions is grave injustice.
Harassing the female teachers is illegal act and is violation of law, ethics and dignity. Such acts violate dignity and safety of individual, SC observed.
The ruling was issued by a two-member bench comprising Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Musarrat Hilali while deciding a case involving harassment allegations against a Grade-17 official at the Government Special Education Centre in Faisalabad.
The decision said there should be a clear policy against harassment to ensure conducive environment at working place.
The system for promptly reporting the incident to the higher authorities should be in place for prevention of harassment related incidents.
The SC while nullifying the tribunal decision restored the punishment awarded by the department for forfeiture of 5 years service.
According to SC the appeal is time barred therefore, it is dismissed. Copy of decision be sent to federal education minister, chief secretaries of provinces, secretaries school and high education and federal and provincial mohtasib so that the elimination of sexual harassment in the educational institutions could be ensured.
The education ministry was directed to get display the code of ethics against harassment at prominent places in all educational institutions.
The SC observed establishment of in house inquiry committee be ensured in all educational institutions so that the affected female teachers could get register their complaints directly.
SC said irrelevant comments, opinion , jokes of sexual nature or messages are violations of dignity of working place. `
Kamran Khan of grade-17 in Government Special Education centre Faisalabad was facing harassment charges.
