Karachi, August 2 — The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday suspended an order issued by the provincial ombudsman for protection against harassment of women, which had directed the immediate removal of K-Electric (KE) CEO Moonis Alvi over workplace harassment allegations.

A day earlier, the provincial ombudsman, retired Justice Shahnawaz Tariq, found Alvi guilty of harassment in a case filed by Mahreen Aziz Khan, KE’s former Chief Marketing and Communication Officer. The ombudsman had ordered Alvi’s dismissal and imposed a penalty of Rs2.5 million as compensation to Khan.

However, Alvi challenged the decision in the SHC, arguing through his legal counsel that the ombudsman lacked jurisdiction over KE, which operates as a trans-provincial entity. The petition also contended that Khan, as a former employee, was not eligible to file a complaint under the ombudsman’s jurisdiction.

According to the petition, no allegations of sexual or physical harassment, or gender-based discrimination, were made before the ombudsman. It asserted that the ombudsman’s findings were “flimsy, not sustainable and completely disproportionate,” adding that several women occupy senior roles within KE, countering claims of a hostile or discriminatory work environment.

The SHC, in its interim order, noted that the question of jurisdiction raised in the petition "requires consideration" and issued notices to the respondents, including the Sindh advocate general and deputy advocate general, summoning them for a hearing on August 8. The court also ordered that the Rs2.5 million penalty be deposited with the court’s nazir until further proceedings.

Until the next hearing, the ombudsman’s order removing Alvi from his position will remain suspended.

Khan’s complaint had named Alvi along with Chief People Officer Rizwan Dallia, Chief of Security retired Colonel Wahid Asghar, and Khalid Rafi, a member of KE’s Board of Directors and Chairman of the Board HR Committee, accusing them of harassment, intimidation, and causing mental distress.

The ombudsman's order had concluded that Alvi was responsible for creating a hostile work environment and mental agony for Khan and her team, leading to his removal under Section 4(4)(ii)(c) of the Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act, 2010.