The Supreme Court of Pakistan has found former Pakistan Television (PTV) News Director, Athar Farooq Battar, guilty in a case involving sexual harassment of women and imposed a financial penalty on him.
According to Justice Mansoor Ali Shah’s eight-page detailed verdict, all of the evidence in the harassment case went against the perpetrator, Athar Farooq, and he will now pay Rs. 500,000 to each of the victims as a penalty.
However, because Athar Farooq Buttar is now retired and living in Canada, the Supreme Court has ordered that the fine be paid to the victims on his property if he fails to pay the amount on time.
The incident came to light in 2016 when five PTV female employees filed a complaint with the Supreme Court against Controller Incharge, Athar Farooq Buttar, for harassing them with the promise of PTV jobs.
In the detailed verdict, Justice Mansoor Ali lauded the Women’s Workplace Harassment Protection Bill 2022 for granting every gender the right to file a complaint about such incidents.
It is worth noting that the parliament of Pakistan took a revolutionary step earlier this year when it passed the Protection Against Harassment of Women at Workplace (Amendment) Act, 2022.
The written judgment also states that the law will promote freedom for women and transgender people, as these are their constitutional rights, while also providing women with a safe environment free of threats and harassment.