Pakistani News

Our Prime Minister who stood behind the passing of laws against sexual harassment has always claimed that he is all for the dignity of women. Now it seems he is wavering when it comes to saving his buddies who think women are just toys to entertain men. Mr Iftikhar Baloch, a senior professor in Punjab University and with a well established reputation of being a sexual harasser on campus, was saved from any accountability for many years because he kept telling everyone that he was a close friend of the PM. When a brave PH D student filed a case against him and a formal inquiry was launched using the new legislation the university found out that he had made a bedroom right next to his office in the university and took liberties with the students frequently. Video footage of that room has been shown on TV. The well connected professor has been using all his friends in the parliament, the bureaucracy and, now, the PM house to save himself.


There have been 18 complaints against him. The Punjab Government eventually formed a very senior level inquiry committee with honest people and they said there was enough evidence to implicate him. The University Committee also found him guilty and he was terminated. According to the law, the University committee has the right to do so and the VC has signed the required orders. We hailed this move towards establishing a descent environment for women to study at the University, thinking that at least this system has upheld justice and withstood pressures from influential connections. But now it seems all the cronies in power are joining hands to save him, including his friends in an unrelated parliamentary committee and the PM.

IS THE GOVERNMENT THAT PASSED THE ANTI SEXUAL HARASSMENT LEGISLATION GOING TO UNDERMINE IT?

WILL THE PRIME MINISTER WHO SAID HE STOOD BY THE WOMEN FOR THIER DIGNITY MAKE CALLS TO THE GOVERNOR TO GET HIS BUDDY REINSTATED OR WILL HE RESPECT THE LAW HIS OWN GOVERNMENT PUT INTO EFFECT AND LET JUSTICE TAKE ITS COURSE.  By - Dr Fouzia Saeed