Sindh High Court Suspends Sindh Ombudsman’s Order Against K-Electric CEO Moonis Alvi

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has suspended the implementation of the Provincial Ombudsman’s decision against Moonis Alvi, the Chief Executive Officer of K-Electric.

As per the details, the SHC issued notices to all concerned parties and directed them to submit their responses within one week. The court also ordered Moonis Alvi to deposit a penalty of Rs 2.5 million while hearing his petition that challenges the jurisdiction of the Sindh Provincial Ombudsman for Protection Against Harassment.

During the hearing, Barrister Abid Zuberi, representing Alvi, argued that the case does not fall under the provincial ombudsman’s jurisdiction, as K-Electric operates in multiple regions, including Hub and Windar, which makes it an inter-provincial entity governed by federal laws rather than provincial legislation. The court will continue proceedings after receiving submissions from all parties to determine the legal scope of the ombudsman’s authority in such matters.

Earlier, the Provincial Ombudsman of Sindh, Justice (R) Shah Nawaz Tariq, had ordered the removal of Moonis Alvi from his post and imposed a Rs 2.5 million fine after upholding harassment allegations against him.

The complaint was filed by Mehreen Zehra, a former Chief Marketing Officer at K-Electric, who alleged that Moonis Alvi subjected her to harassment and mental distress. She had been engaged by K-Electric in 2019 for consultancy services. Following a formal investigation, the Ombudsman concluded that the allegations were substantiated and directed that Moonis Alvi be removed from office.

The Ombudsman further ordered him to pay the penalty within one month, warning that failure to pay the fine would lead to seizure of both movable and immovable assets belonging to Moonis Alvi. Additionally, his national identity card and passport could be blocked if he did not comply with the order.

Background and Additional Details

According to K-Electric’s official disclosure to the Pakistan Stock Exchange and the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, the complaint originated after the ex-employee’s termination on October 14, 2020, for performance reasons. She filed the harassment complaint in November 2020, after leaving the company.

The initial complaint was filed against the CEO, two employees, and one director of K-Electric. After the Ombudsman’s inquiry, all other accused parties were discharged, leaving only the CEO to face removal and financial penalty.

The accused previously challenged the case in the Sindh High Court in December 2020, arguing that:

1. A former employee cannot file a complaint under the 2010 Harassment Act after termination.

2. The allegations did not fall within the Act’s definition of workplace harassment.

3. K-Electric is a trans-provincial organization, making the case outside the jurisdiction of the Sindh Ombudsman.

The SHC initially restrained the Ombudsman from passing a final order but later allowed the proceedings to continue. The accused also filed a petition in the Supreme Court, which remains pending.

K-Electric has stated that it has not yet received an official copy of the Ombudsman’s order. The company said its Board of Directors will determine the next steps after reviewing the order in light of the Sindh High Court’s suspension and legal advice.

The case now remains pending before the Sindh High Court, which will decide both the jurisdictional question and the validity of the Ombudsman’s order after hearing all parties.