TIMELINE: Tanzeela Mazhar - The Fight Against Sexual Harassment

Timeline of Events

Since 2017, Tanzeela Mazhar has been battling a lawsuit filed against her shortly after she courageously exposed sexual harassment by Agha Masood Shorish, the director of current affairs at PTV News, where she was employed. Finally, after seven years of facing criticism and online harassment, Mazhar has received the justice she rightfully deserves. Her unwavering commitment to combating harassment in a male-dominated industry is truly commendable. Her victory serves as an inspiring example for other marginalized individuals in Pakistan's media sector, encouraging them to seek justice and fair treatment in their workplaces. 

The Coalition For Women In Journalism and Women Press Freedom presents the timeline below that sheds light on Mazhar's relentless determination in her fight against sexual harassment within the industry. Mazhar's brave decision to expose the harassment she faced marked the beginning of a challenging journey towards justice. As we navigate through the events that unfolded over the years, this timeline showcases the obstacles faced by Mazhar, her colleague Yashfeen Jamal, and the intricate web of events surrounding their pursuit of accountability. 

2024

January 30

Pakistani trial court acquits Tanzeela Mazhar in the criminal defamation case, which has been dragging for the last seven years.

2021

September 24

The court refuses to accommodate the medical concerns that Tenzeela Mazhar is facing. Tanzeela is pregnant and nursing a fractured foot. Upon request to not appear in one of her hearings due to its proximity to when her child is due, the judge tells Tenzeela that he would issue her arrest warrant if he found her absent.

2020

September 15

Mazhar's appeal against PTV's report is considered by the ombudsman for an additional hearing. While the report was supposed to be concluded in 30 days, it took three years instead.

February 6

Mazhar appears at the Federal Ombudsman Secretariat for Protection against Harassment to argue her right to challenge the inquiry report by PTV. She considers the inquiry to not have been conducted fairly and in due course of time. The report was not shared with her until July 2019.

2019

November 16

Mazhar appears in court regarding the defamation charges against her on November 16 and 23.

October 9

Mazhar appears in court facing criminal defamation charges on October 9, 20, 22.

August 20

Three years following Mazhar’s complaint against harassment at PTV, she receives the inquiry report on approaching the Federal Ombudsman Secretariat for Protection Against Harassment (FOSPAH). The report was declared a secret document. Mazhar’s request for justice by PTI’s government falls on deaf ears.

2018

October 20

Mazhar shares that during the past two years, the internal inquiry was merely an eyewash. She was bullied and threatened and mentioned how the director was much later sacked but not for harassment. She and her colleague Yashfeen dealt with two defamation lawsuits — criminal and civil; she had to tell her story to the probing committee and then to a courtroom and has been labeled by her offenders.

2017

November

PTV fires its suspended director of current affairs, Agha Masood Shorish, following allegations of sexual harassment and misuse of authority by multiple staffers. A total of five inquiries had been initiated against Shorish, including three for sexual harassment. PTV's 14 producers file a complaint against Shorish in the Islamabad High Court, and the issue was also taken up in the National Assembly. The Information Ministry issues a notification for Shorish’s termination.

March

Mazhar resigns. The anchor is disappointed by Maryam Nawaz and her party’s claims regarding the respect of women. “PTV is being highjacked by perverts. I did my bit to improve things, alas, moral corruption won over morals. I will cherish working with PTV.”

February

• Management of PTV renews the contracts of Mazhar and Jamal on February 7.
• Shoorish files a defamation suit against Mazhar and Jamal on February 5.
• State Minister for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb announces on February 2 that the inquiry committee looking into the complaint filed against Pakistan Television’s (PTV) head of current affairs is not biased. Minister contends that ban was not related to the harassment complaint lodged by them.
• Women lawmakers in the National Assembly demanded clarification on February 1 as to why no action had been taken against Shorish.

January

• The inquiry committee submits its report to the PTV managing director on January 26. The inquiry committee investigating the case fails to finalize its inquiry report within the prescribed time period. According to the timeline provided under Section 4(4) of the Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2010, the committee should have submitted the report by the end of Dec 2016 or early Jan 2017.
• On January 24, PTV’s Controller Current Affairs Habibur Rehman issues a letter stating that both the anchors are banned immediately as anchors as well as participants in the PTV News. The notice further stated that no organization could afford such insulting and defamatory behavior of anchors in spite of their being on the payroll of the PTV. An internal inquiry is underway, headed by a woman officer of the information ministry with the authority of the judicial magistrate.
• Women lawmakers of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) take up the issue of alleged harassment of women at PTV and submit a call-attention notice in the National Assembly on January 20.
• PTV management issues on January 20 a circular stating that ‘certain’ PTV employees were using social media to comment on matters being inquired into officially. “Such comments must be removed or deleted within 24 hours of issuance of the circular, failing which strict disciplinary action will be taken,” the circular reads.
• Following the accusation, Mazhar faces immense vitriol online from supporters of Sorish — including her own male colleagues — who accuse her of misusing Pakistan’s harassment laws, questioning the complaints brought forward by the journalists, who had filed cases against their harasser before revealing their ordeal.
• At the beginning of January 2017, Mazhar exposes former director of current affairs PTV Agha Masood Sorish on Twitter for making “unwelcome advances” at her in 2009. She shares that he took her off-screen after confronting him. Screenshots of her personal chat added to the post revealed the harassment against her and another journalist, Yashfeen Jamal. The man in question termed all allegations baseless and defamatory and said he would urge management to release the findings of the report to clear the confusion.