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The Islamabad Club found itself amid another controversy on Sunday after a female official of the elite club accused a "powerful member" of the club's management committee of sexually harassing her.
The accusations surfaced four months after a female assistant manager of the Islamabad Club had reportedly committed suicide inside the club.
The recent allegation against the club's official has prompted the Ministry of Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) to constitute a team to investigate the matter.
The accuser, who worked at the club, accused the committee member of sexual harassment in a written complaint to the CADD secretary. She alleged that the accused used to summon her to his office only to discuss unofficial matters, including her "personal life".
"He would make me sit in his office for hours, showing photos and narrating stories of his youth. I felt insecure in his office," she wrote in her letter to the ministry.
Taking notice of the harassment allegation, the ministry of CADD constituted a three-member committee to probe the allegations against the club's committee member. The investigation committee has been directed to complete its proceedings within a month.
The office order, a copy of which is available with DawnNews, has assigned Joint Secretary CADD to investigate the matter.
The female employee alleged that she was fired immediately after she refused to obey the "immoral" orders of the club's committee member.
“First I felt insecure in the office of that person, but now I am worried about the future of my three-year-old daughter. He [the club official] had threatened me of dire consequences,” she told DawnNews.
When contacted, the accused official refused to comment. However, Shahid Khan, the administrator of the club, said that a committee had been constituted by CADD to probe the allegations and that the truth will prevail.
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On DawnNews
Comments (43) Closed
Oct 29, 2017 08:17pm
So sad to hear such types of news in Pakistan
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Oct 29, 2017 08:21pm
Strick.action should be taken against the person who is involved in such immoral activities
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Oct 29, 2017 08:21pm
Now some will say that's not harassment, she should have left his office or job. This is typical example of abuse of power, this is classic harassment. Shame on islamabad club for letting this happen.
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Oct 29, 2017 08:25pm
When will men learn that a no means NO..
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Oct 29, 2017 08:27pm
Truth will prevail depends who they are and who wants to know...the chances are the victim will be accused of wrong doings...besides what is the guarantee that the investigating team wont be biased...in the end....In order to escape accountability for his crimes, the perpetrator does everything in his power to promote forgetting. If secrecy fails, the perpetrator attacks the credibility of his victim. If he cannot silence her absolutely, he tries to make sure no one listens and the irony is who listens...if someone listens this wont have happened...
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Oct 29, 2017 08:27pm
Good. Don't leave a single predator. Must punish them all. Time has come.
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Oct 29, 2017 08:30pm
The perpetrator must be exposed and punished. The lady should have quit and not killed herself and left her family bereaved
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Oct 29, 2017 08:34pm
Wow. this is shocking. I hope an honest investigation is carried out. We cannot have such wolves in our midst. Our daughters will study and work. So we need to remove such people from public life. they should not be allowed to discourage the women from working in our society.
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Oct 29, 2017 08:37pm
To he$$ with CADD. A full criminal investigation should be launched by Islamabad Police. If proved true the man is a menace to society and should be punished.
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Oct 29, 2017 08:37pm
What is the problem. Why cant they report name of the accused? Is he minor?
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Oct 29, 2017 08:45pm
That's too bad, and we thought the elitists would be more mindful of their Manner's.
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Oct 29, 2017 08:48pm
What is this worldwide. In film industry in parliament in hospitals in clubs every where complaint of harassment. We must respect working women at all levels.
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Oct 29, 2017 08:53pm
So long we are up against nature, allowing intermingling of opposite gender, fire would continue embarrassing many .. We need to go either way, stop complaining and enjoy diversity or separate water and fire
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Oct 29, 2017 08:54pm
really it was so sad ..she would left the job if such kind of office sexually blame the girl and threating ..then what mean of pakistan minister that nation women are dealing such issues especially in jobs...Is it be goodness of pakistan?
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Oct 29, 2017 08:56pm
really it was so sad .Is it be goodness of pakistan?
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Oct 29, 2017 08:57pm
this is what happens when a society is so conservative where men become animal because sexual relation ship is treated with such hush hush
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Oct 29, 2017 09:03pm
DAWN should have disclosed the name of the accused person. Why hide the name since he is an adult and not a minor? The investigation should also include the detailed examination of the management processes at the Islamabad Club to ensure that any and all discriminatory practices are removed and an effective grievance redressal procedure is in place to protect the rights of all employees and workers.
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Oct 29, 2017 10:59pm
Where is PM and concerned minister to take action
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Oct 29, 2017 11:16pm
I know this is very rampant in offices. Women who leave Home to work are seen as easy meat and exploited. Women have to take a stand and who ever crosses the line has to pay the price.
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Oct 29, 2017 11:21pm
Shahid Khan is definitely an honourable gentleman, truth shall prevail.
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Oct 29, 2017 11:33pm
@prateek yes like in Hollywood and UK where celebrities have harrassed and raped women -Both Very good examples of conservative societies
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Oct 29, 2017 11:45pm
Harassment should be investigated but just an afterthought someone who was worried about the future of her 3 year old if she lost her job would not have committed suicide, police should reopen the case and examine all possibilities
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Oct 30, 2017 12:04am
Frustrated society
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Oct 30, 2017 12:35am
One lady should ba part of investigating team so that she could understand situation better.
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Oct 30, 2017 12:51am
So good to hear such news in Pakistan because before women were silent and now they are speaking out.
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Oct 30, 2017 02:14am
If a female assistant manager of the Islamabad Club reportedly committed suicide inside the club something really bad must have happened to her.
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Oct 30, 2017 02:21am
On their websiteits written for membership:
All other gentlemen/ladies not falling in the “Service Members” category, but having the requisite "social status".
While emphasing on social status, they forgot to check moral status and that too one of their own
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Oct 30, 2017 02:23am
Did the woman who committed suicide obey the "immoral" orders of the club's committee member and then took her own life?
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Oct 30, 2017 02:32am
@Salman
As long as people have slective Justice, harassment will continue. Gulalie’s case under the rug b/c Imran Khan is too powerful and popular to be brought to justice.
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Oct 30, 2017 03:49am
Unacceptable. Zero tolerance. Do they forget they have women back home too?!
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Oct 30, 2017 03:56am
This is very common with our rich and powerful people to pressurize poor female working for them. This is not an isolated incident and most likely nothing will happen to the accused.
The accuser must not lose her job. Transfer her to another department or assign to another activities while this matter is being investigated.
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Oct 30, 2017 04:25am
what happened for the assistant manager suicide?
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Oct 30, 2017 05:51am
"When contacted, the accused official refused to comment. However, Shahid Khan, the administrator of the club, said that a committee had been constituted by CADD to probe the allegations and that the truth will prevail." But how can a woman (,since woman are proven to be unreliable witness etc )be allowed to prevail over much more reliable and intelligent kind of animals called "men"?
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Oct 30, 2017 06:03am
hopefully, this committee is not an eye wash and that a strict disciplinary action is taken against the perpetrator. Also this lady and her family needs protection from such vultures.
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Oct 30, 2017 06:27am
Where we intend to lead this Country, it is unfortunate and so sad, however, a female member is being praised to show courage and surfaced this incident, this defiance will result its prevention.
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Oct 30, 2017 06:30am
@W.M . This happens in Pakistan more frequently than we are
Willing to admit, recognize or do anything to prevent. Girls and women, please raise your voices, and please act to help the individuals who bring their harassment cases out in the public.
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Oct 30, 2017 06:41am
To my understanding which is based upon past experience the one with sources and resources wins the case and the poor and weaker who complains of any type of sexual harassment is to just curse her fate as the powerful favors none but powerful. I wish in the given case who threatened her of dire consequences should face the dire consequences instead. Who will be punished now > he or she? Iqbal Hadi Zaidi / Kuwait / zaidi.formerdiplomat@hotmail.com
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Oct 30, 2017 06:46am
Nothing is likely to happen. Not in this part of the world.
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Oct 30, 2017 09:14am
Nothing will happen as the accused is very power and employees of president house. So this is just to give something to newspapers that ministry had done its job.
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Oct 30, 2017 10:03am
They would form a committee only to conclude that woman in question was asking for some sort of favours .....just like what happened in Gulalie case
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Oct 30, 2017 04:12pm
Women face sexual harassment in very walk of life. In private sector, women are more vulnerable segment .Whether she surrender before the abuser or to face dire consequences.
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Oct 31, 2017 12:40pm
This is indeed terrible and Islamabad Club considered to be a prestigious club and where they have so many protocols of entering a certain hall only in formal dress, and too many ifs and donts cannot take care of its female employees, cannot provide them the comfort and protection of a safe working environment.
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Nov 01, 2017 02:37am
@Salman Well said Salman.
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