ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has suspended the dismissal order issued against former Health Services Academy (HSA) Vice Chancellor Dr Shahzad Ali Khan in a workplace harassment case and also suspended the Federal Ombudsman for Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace (Fospah) order dated February 13, 2026.

IHC Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfaraz Dogar issued the stay order after hearing a petition filed by Dr Khan. The court also suspended the decision of August 11, 2026, through which his representation against the Fospah order was rejected by the Presidency.

The chief justice issued a two-page written order after the hearing.

According to the order, counsel for the petitioner submitted that Dr Khan was a senior health-sector expert and had served as vice chancellor of the Health Services Academy. The counsel contended that Dr Khan had initially approached Fospah against a woman on allegations of blackmail, intimidation and financial irregularities.

The woman subsequently filed a counter-complaint against Dr Khan before Fospah, alleging harassment.

According to the petitioner’s counsel, Fospah dismissed Dr Khan’s complaint but accepted the allegations levelled against him in the counter-complaint and imposed the maximum penalty of dismissal from service.

Dr Khan challenged the decision before the President through a representation. However, the Presidency rejected his appeal on August 11, 2026, thereby maintaining his dismissal.

The IHC order noted the submissions of the petitioner’s counsel that during proceedings before the President’s Office, it was observed that the matter was not a case of sexual harassment. The counsel further submitted that no specific incident of sexual harassment had emerged and that there were no comprehensible reasons or sufficient evidence to establish such allegations.

Despite these observations, the penalty of dismissal was maintained, the counsel argued.

The presidency’s detailed decision, while upholding the dismissal, had itself questioned the legal reasoning adopted by Fospah. It observed that the dispute appeared to be primarily a bitter personal dispute rather than a conventional workplace sexual-harassment case and criticised the ombudsperson for failing to properly frame the issues and examine the chronology of events.

The President’s Office also observed that the question of whether a valid marriage existed between the parties was a matter for the family courts. The woman had claimed that a verbal nikah had taken place and that Dr Khan had promised to marry her, while he denied the claim.

The Presidency, however, maintained the penalty on the basis of Dr Khan’s conduct towards the woman, particularly his decision to terminate her services on July 18, 2025, one day after she registered an FIR against him, observing that the conduct had created a hostile work environment. After hearing the matter, the IHC suspended the impugned orders and sought further proceedings in the case.

Published in Dawn, August 14th, 2026