LHC reserves verdict on Meesha plea

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday reserved the verdict on a petition by singer Meesha Shafi challenging dismissal of her complaint by Punjab ombudsperson (Protection against harassment of women at workplace) and the governor against musician/actor Ali Zafar on harassment charges.

Representing the female singer, Advocate Hina Jilani argued that the ombudsperson dismissed the petitioner's complaint on technical grounds and the governor also upheld the decision.

She said the ombudsperson in the impugned decision ruled that the petitioner had no locus standi (aggrieved party) to agitate the matter under the Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace Act 2010.

She said the ombudsperson also observed that the petitioner failed to establish relation of employer and employee in the case, therefore, the matter did not fall within the domain of the Act. The counsel argued that the contract letter with a production company was sufficient to establish that the harassment caused to the petitioner at the hands of the respondent was at the workplace. On the other side, Zafar's counsel Ali Sibtain Fazli argued that the case of the petitioner did fall within the ambit of the Act. He said the petitioner had never been an employee of Zafar. Justice Shahid Karim observed that the Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace Act 2010 was comprehensive piece of legislation that protected the working women. He said the court would see as to how and what extent the law defined relation of employer and employee.

Ms Shafi had accused Zafar of physical advances on more than one occasion. She denied the assertions of Zafar and stuck to her allegations of harassment against him. Both parties are pursuing defamation suits against each other before a sessions court.