Regulator orders formation of anti-harassment panels in medical, dental colleges

Islamabad : The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council has directed all public and private medical and dental colleges in the country to set up special committees on campus to address and prevent harassment issues.

The committees will be responsible for investigating complaints of harassment and producing their findings within 10 days. The initiative aims to foster a safer, more respectful environment for students, faculty, and staff members in medical and dental institutions, according to PMDC President Prof Rizwan Taj.

He said with workplace harassment being a major concern in the country, the proposed committees would focus on investigating harassment complaints, raising awareness of respectful conduct, and implementing preventive measures.

"This initiative aligns with broader efforts to strengthen anti-harassment policies and protect individuals in educational and professional settings," the PMDC president told reporters. He said hopefully, the move would help create a supportive, respectful atmosphere for students, faculty, and staff in their institutions. Prof Taj said the PMDC believed that the anti-harassment committees would play an essential role in promoting accountability and strengthening preventive measures, and encourage individuals to report harassment without fear.

"Workplace harassment goes beyond sexual harassment and demands for favours; it encompasses a wide range of discrimination and mistreatment, including Gender-based discrimination that und­er­mined professional abilities, verbal harassment like offensive language, insults, and rumour-spreading, physical intimidation or unwanted contact, psychological harassment through bullying, criticism, and exclusion, ethnic, and disability-based discrimination often involving slurs and stereotypes, age-related and religious harassment involving derogatory comments or exclusion, and abuse of authority, with unrealistic expectations or public humiliation," he said.