In October 2025, the Federal Ombudsman for Protection Against Harassment (FOSPAH) in Pakistan made an important decision about workplace harassment, a problem also shown in the drama serial Goonj.
At the centre of the ruling was Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science & Technology (FUUAST), where its Vice‑Chancellor, Dr Zabta Khan Shinwari, was found guilty of repeatedly making sexist, gender‑stereotypical and demeaning remarks about women faculty members. Simultaneously and ironically, the drama serial Goonj – with its female protagonist Zarnab – has been unpacking very similar issues of subtle workplace harassment in a way that resonates with what happened at FUUAST. Together, the real‑life ruling and the fiction point to the same urgent message: harassment is not always about physical assault, but often about culture, power, language and institutional responsibility.
At FUUAST, the complaint was brought by a female lecturer who alleged that the Vice‑Chancellor had told her – and similarly addressed other female faculty – that “when females reach the age of around 35 or above, they experience hormonal issues, and their mental condition becomes unstable, causing them to create problems for others.” The ombudsperson found these remarks to be “inherently sexist, derogatory and demeaning,” and ruled that they constituted gender‑stereotyping and behaviour capable of creating a hostile work environment under the law. The professional hierarchy – someone in authority making sweeping comments about women’s competence and psychological stability – heightened the seriousness of the conduct. The penalty: a censure under Section 4(4)(i)(a) of the Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act, 2010, with an order that the university syndicate monitor his conduct and that institutional reforms be undertaken (such as establishing a Standing Inquiry Committee, displaying the statutory Code of Conduct and running regular awareness workshops).
From a legal standpoint, the Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act (2010) defines harassment to include “other verbal or written communication or physical conduct of a sexual nature or sexually demeaning attitudes, causing interference with work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment”. Under its Section 2(h)(i) it covers gender‑based stereotyping and under 2(h)(ii) gender discrimination. The FUUAST ruling explicitly relied on these definitions, stating that the Vice‑Chancellor’s remarks were gender‑based stereotyping and discrimination under those provisions. Moreover, FOSPAH stressed that ignorance of gender stereotypes cannot absolve those in authority from responsibility. The law also places responsibility on institutions to adopt internal inquiry mechanisms, codes of conduct, awareness programmes and sanctions for breach.
On the parallel cultural front, Goonj takes a fresh, realistic look at how workplace harassment often unfolds – not through dramatic scenes of overt aggression, but through subtle, persistent micro‑behaviours: sarcastic remarks, undermining comments on clothing or performance, staring, isolating, provoking reactions that can be used to question competence. The protagonist Zarnab (played by Komal Meer) is a professional woman whose success and presence in an office environment triggers covert hostility from a male colleague, Nabeel (played by Mirza Gohar). These scenes closely mirror the FUUAST scenario in two key ways: first, the harasser uses power, language, and stereotypes (rather than physical assault) to undermine a woman; second, the victim hesitates to report or call it out – not because she lacks courage, but because the line between acceptable behaviour and harassment is so blurred, there is often no proof, and institutional protection feels weak. The show uses this storyline to raise awareness that verbal harassment is real, actionable, and legally relevant. According to interviews, Komal Meer noted that “girls need to know there’s an actual law against verbal harassment. You don’t have to stay silent.”
The convergence of real life and fiction in this way is powerful. The FUUAST case shows that our laws are not just theoretical – they can hold even figures in authority accountable for harassment in academic institutions. The drama Goonj reflects the reality for many women professionals, who experience harassment daily but often lack the language, proof, or institutional support to respond. When the Vice-Chancellor’s comments were officially recognized as harassment, it marked a cultural shift: sexist jokes and stereotypical remarks can no longer be treated as harmless. Leaders must understand that their words shape workplace culture, and that “headship” carries a duty to model gender sensitivity. The ombudsperson’s order emphasized that university heads have an “institutional duty to demonstrate exemplary gender sensitivity, as their words and actions shape the culture of the academic community.”
What both the ruling and the drama underline is that harassment isn’t simply one isolated incident – rather, it is about the accumulation of dismissals, stereotypes, undermining behaviours and assumptions about women’s emotional or professional stability. In the FUUAST case, the vice‑chancellor’s repeated remarks over time created a climate of disrespect. In Goonj, the incremental nature of his attacks on Zarnab are exactly that: a slow erosion of her space, confidence and sense of dignity. The law recognises this pattern: by defining harassment also as “creating a hostile work environment” or “interference with work performance” (Act 2010) it covers not just overt acts but sustained culture.
Yet, the case and the drama also highlight the challenge of enforcement and institutional transformation. Although the FUUAST ruling ordered institutional mechanisms, the real test is whether culture shifts over time, whether the faculty feel safe, whether reporting becomes meaningful and whether leadership truly changes. There remains a gap between what the law provides and what many women experience, particularly in less formal workplaces, smaller organisations or sectors where power‑dynamics are even more opaque.
The story of Zarnab – whether fictional in Goonj or real in the halls of FUUAST – is a call to action. It reminds us that harassment is not always loud; it is often the whisper, the “just a joke”, the stereotype, the assumption that women will decline in value after 35, or that their emotional stability is suspect. It affirms that Pakistani law recognises these attitudes as harassment, and that institutional accountability matters. But beyond law, culture must shift. Words matter, leaders matter, institutions matter. For the woman who steps into the professional zone hoping to be judged on merit – not on age, gender, stereotype – the message is clear: you have rights. Your workplace must be respectful. And your voice must echo – not just in drama, but in real‑life change.
Sources: DAWN News, FOSPAH, National Assembly Of Pakistan, and The Pakistan Code.
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