ISLAMABAD – The Federal Ombudsperson for the Prevention of Harassment has imposed a fine of Rs500,000 on Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) Vice Chancellor Nadeemul Haq for harassing a female staff member.

The federal ombudsperson, Fouzia Waqar, issued the ruling against the head of the Pakistan’s top post-graduate research institution for for engaging in gender-discriminatory behavior.

Staff economist Ambreen Qayyum had filed a formal complaint against the VC with the federal ombudsperson.

The complaint included allegations of abuse of authority and defamation through social media. She alleged that Dr Nadeemul Haq had made derogatory statements against women on X, formerly Twitter.

The spokesperson for the ombudsperson revealed that after an investigation, it was concluded that Dr. Haq’s actions violated the workplace harassment laws. As a result, a fine was imposed on him.