LAHORE: The Lahore High Court asked the Punjab Governor to decide the representation of Zahid Sadique Butt within three months after giving him an opportunity of hearing and respondent Mehwish Awan.

The court passed these directions in a petition of Zahid who contended through his counsel that jurisdiction of the ombudsperson did not extend to the domestic disputes. He said the petitioner was neither employer nor employee or co-worker of the respondent. He said the respondent ombudsperson, therefore, had no jurisdiction to entertain the complaint of the respondent. He said the petitioner had also raised the objection through an application but the respondent ombudsperson did not entertain his application while deciding the complaint of the respondent.

Ms Anmol Ali Awan advocate representing the respondent Mehwish contended before the court that remedy of appeal in terms of Section 9 of the Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act 2010 is available to the petitioner.

She contended that the said aspect might be raised before the appellate authority. The court inclining with the arguments of the respondent’s counsel suspended the orders of the ombudsperson and asked the Governor Punjab to decide the matter within three months.

The court also observed that if any separate grievance arises to any of the parties, they may seek appropriate remedy against the same.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022