KARACHI – Professor Sahar Ansari, a visiting faculty member and famous literary personality at the University of Karachi, has been found guilty of sexually harassing a female assistant professor at the varsity’s Pakistan Study Centre.
A three-member committee however stopped just short of suggesting his removal, the News reported on Monday, recommending that he be kept away from varsity activities.
Ansari, an Urdu poet and linguist who holds Sitara-i-Imtiaz, remained associated with the University of Karachi as Professor and Chairman of Urdu department.
The controversy emerged last year when a professor of University of Karachi’s (UoK) Pakistan Study Centre, Dr Navin G Haider, filed a complaint against Ansari, who, she claimed, had sexually harassed her. After repeatedly having felt ignored and wronged by the varsity’s administration, she filed a complaint against the professor in the office of the Provincial Ombudsman Sindh.
On the ombudsman’s directive, KU formed a committee comprising Centre of Excellence for Women’s Studies Chairperson Professor Nasreen Aslam Shah, KU Deputy Registrar Ashraf Ali and Karachi University Teachers Society President Prof Dr Jamil Hassan Kazmi.
In its report, the committee noted that any civilised society, especially a prestigious educational institute like KU, would not allow anyone to utilise their fame to harass students or staff.
The report further states that a large number of female students were enrolled at the university and such incidents of harassment are not addressed on time, parents may be inclined to not send their daughters for education there.
In light of witnesses and statements, the inquiry committee has reached the decision that Navin’s statement was true while Ansari repeatedly said that hugging and handshaking are not objectionable actions, the report added.
Stating that it is important for the KU administration to maintain its respectable status and take steps to prevent such acts from happening in the future, the committee recommended that the 76-year-old should be barred from being part of academic and literary activities at KU.
