Press Statement

Senior Pakistan TV official convicted of sexual harassment

25 Oct, 2016

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) in welcoming the recent decision by the Federal Ombudsperson Against Harassment of Women in the Workplace to prosecute the director of the state-run channel Pakistan Television (PTV) with sexual harassment.

On October 21, the ombudsperson, retired Justice Yasmin Abbasi, imposed a fine of Rs 250 000 (USD 2400) on Athar Farooq Bhuttar and censured him over sexual harassment complaints filed by six female news anchors at the station. The news anchors in June 2016 accused Bhuttar of sexual harassment, humiliation and insulting behaviour.

Emphasising its zero tolerance policy for sexual harassment, the PFUJ said, “The PFUJ has been following the case and has condemned the incidents of harassment of the female anchors while demanding the authorities probe the matter. This charge is welcome news, and will hopefully help to minimise such cases in the future.”

In agreement, the IFJ said: “The IFJ welcomes this decision from the Federal Ombudsperson to prosecute Bhuttar for sexually harassing his colleagues at PTV. It also lauds the courage of those news anchors who spoke out in seeking justice for their suffering. It is hoped that this case encourages other victims to speak out. Everyone deserves to work in a safe work environment regardless of their gender and for this reason sexual harassment in newsrooms cannot be tolerated.”

The 2015 IFJ survey on gender, Inside the News: Challenges and Aspirations for Women Journalists in Asia and the Pacific, found that sexual harassment in the workplace continues to be a significant concern for women in the region. Almost 40 percent of female respondents said they had witnessed sexual harassment at work, most from a superior or colleague.

Written By

IFJ Asia-Pacific IFJ Asia-Pacific

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