- A former lecturer filed a harassment complaint against the Registrar of IBA Karachi, which was later dismissed, but some recommendations were made.
- The Provincial Ombudsman Sindh allowed an appeal on technical grounds, and IBA has now taken the matter to the Sindh High Court.
- The High Court has stopped the implementation of the recommendations for now, and IBA has requested the public not to form opinions before the final decision.
On June 30, 2025, the Institute of Business Administration, Karachi (IBA Karachi), issued a public statement regarding an alleged harassment case. IBA said that it is an institution known for excellence and that it cares deeply about the well-being of its faculty, staff, and students. It also highlighted its strong commitment to non-discrimination and gender empowerment, values for which it is widely recognized.
IBA explained that although disputes can happen, it always handles them in a professional and respectful way. The institute believes in accepting and coexisting with different opinions and behaviors. IBA also respects all legal and semi-legal authorities and is committed to following their decisions, although it keeps the right to challenge them when needed.
In 2023, a former lecturer, Ms. Zahra Sabri, filed a harassment complaint against the Registrar of IBA. The matter was reviewed by an Inquiry Committee under the Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act, 2010. The committee, which only makes recommendations and does not have final authority, cleared the Registrar of the charges. However, it suggested that IBA’s administration issue a letter of apology to Ms. Sabri and pay her PKR 300,000 as compensation. Since the complaint was not directly against IBA’s administration, the Competent Authority at IBA decided not to accept these recommendations.
Ms. Sabri then challenged this decision before the Provincial Ombudsman Sindh. The Ombudsman did not confirm the Inquiry Committee’s recommendations but allowed Ms. Sabri’s appeal. The Ombudsman said that a new Competent Authority should be appointed to implement the recommendations. This decision was based on a technical point that the original Competent Authority did not have the power to reject or disagree with the committee’s suggestions and that any disagreements should only be taken up before the Ombudsman.
IBA, based on legal advice, believes that the powers of the Competent Authority have been wrongly interpreted. Therefore, IBA challenged the Ombudsman’s decision in the Sindh High Court. On June 26, 2025, the Sindh High Court ordered that the letter of apology and the payment of PKR 300,000 should not be given to Ms. Sabri until the case is fully decided.
As the matter is still pending, IBA emphasized that no court or similar body has so far confirmed the committee’s recommendations. The question of whether these recommendations are legal and valid is still to be decided by the Sindh High Court and possibly in future proceedings before the Ombudsman.
In the end, IBA requested everyone to wait for the final decision before making any judgments. It also urged people not to believe or spread misinformation, false stories, or unverified statements on social media.
