PUASA divided over harassment case | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

PUASA divided over harassment case

LAHORE: THE Punjab University Academic Staff Association (PUASA) seems to have divided over alleged sexual harassment case involving a senior faculty member.

The split is evident from two press statements issued separately by PUASA President and Secretary on Saturday.

PUASA President Dr Mahr Saeed Akhtar claimed that the association’s executive council had demanded the varsity’s authorities play its role in ending Punjab University’s media trial in the said alleged harassment case, as the varsity’s Public Relations Department had failed to do so.
He also said the meeting had demanded immediate judicial inquiry into the alleged incident.

However, the PUASA President’s statement was contested by association’s Secretary Javed Sami in a letter addressed to him. A copy of the letter was forwarded to the media by the PU’s Public Relations Department.

In the letter, the PUASA Secretary, who is also PU’s Resident Officer (RO-I), said the meeting did not term it failure of varsity’s PR Department to stop the media trial. He said print and electronic media was independent and the same could not be stopped from reporting any incident.
He further said the meeting did not demand judicial inquiry of the alleged incident, as a department inquiry was already under process and its findings were expected in a couple of days.
Source: The News
Date:11/14/2010