LARKANA: Sindh Ombudsman retired Justice Shahnawaz Tariq has urged women to immediately convey to the office of ombudsman or district complaint centre any instance of sexual harassment.

Addressing a seminar on sexual harassment at Chandka Medical College on Thursday, he said the affected women should fearlessly express the incident before a committee regarding sexual harassment at their workplaces. He held out assurance for delivering justice at their doorsteps and providing free legal aid so that those found guilty of committing the crime could be punished.

The aim of holding this seminar was to create awareness in society, he said and disclosed that on the complaints of women, some people had not only been removed from service, but also fined.

Khalid Khan, director ombudsman office, said a three-member committee would hear complaints and decide about it; therefore women should report to the proper forum for the redress of their grievances.

Prof Dr K. Das, principal of Chandka Medical College, said a women harassment cell headed by Prof Dr Rafia Baloch was already working in the institution. He said 60 per cent medical undergraduates at the institution were females and advised them to raise voice regarding any incident of sexual harassment at workplace.

Head of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST) Larkana campus, Ms Zahida Abro, talking about important role of women in almost all spheres of life, said they [women] had been facing injustices at the workplace. They should disclose any excesses at workplaces, she added. They should stand up against sexual harassment and other injustices and condemned karo kari (honour killing). She called for uprooting the trend from society. She said parents should educate and encourage their children to raise their voice against injustice.

Ms Shama Kolachi, deputy director of women development department Larkana, said the department was there to redress women`s issues. She said it was a discouraging trend to hush up the voice of affected women in society. She advocated veil observing as according to her it [veil] would protect women from different problems.

She advised holding such seminars in remote areas and villages to create awareness there.

Quoting the Holy Quran, Dr Ms Tanveer Fatima talked about the importance of wearing veil and held mother`s education and training supreme in upbringing of offspring. Dr Zulfikar Rahujo and others also spoke on the occasion.

Later, shields were distributed among the speakers and others.

The district and sessions judges of Larkana and Gambar-Shahdadkot, lawyers and students attended the programme.