March 11, 2026
By Xari Jalil
LAHORE
A constitutional petition has been filed in the Sindh High Court challenging a decision by the Governor of Sindh that cleared Moonis Abdullah Alvi of sexual harassment allegations, overturning an earlier ruling by the provincial ombudsman that had found him guilty. The court has issued notices in the matter and fixed April 16, 2026 as the next date of hearing.
The petition has been filed by communications professional Mahreen Aziz Khan, who has asked the court to set aside the governor’s order dated 20 January 2026, arguing that it unlawfully reversed the findings of the Provincial Ombudsperson under the Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act, 2010.
Background of the dispute
According to the petition, Mahreen Aziz Khan joined K-Electric in late 2019. She was initially hired as a Strategic Communication Consultant through a consultancy agreement dated 11 November 2019, after being interviewed by Moonis Alvi and senior company official Muhammad Rizwan Dalia, the Chief People Officer.
The petition states that soon after, Khan was persuaded to take on a permanent leadership role within the company. On 10 December 2019, she signed a contract for the position of Chief Marketing and Communication Officer (CMCO) and formally assumed the role on 26 December 2019. In this position, she reported directly to Moonis Alvi, who was then serving as the Chief Executive Officer of K-Electric.
Other individuals named in the petition include Col. (R) Wahid Asghar, who was serving as Chief Security, and Khalid Rafi, a member of the company’s board of directors and chairman of the board’s HR committee during the relevant period.
Ombudsman ruling
Khan had filed a workplace harassment complaint that was heard by the Provincial Ombudsperson Sindh. After proceedings that included evidence and testimony, the ombudsperson issued an order on 31 July 2025 in Complaint No. 30(KHI)/2020, finding Moonis Alvi guilty of sexual harassment.
The petition states that the decision followed a full trial and evidentiary process, in which the conduct complained of was evaluated under the framework of workplace harassment defined in Pakistani law.
Governor’s intervention
Moonis Alvi subsequently filed a representation under Section 9 of the Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act, 2010, which allows appeals against ombudsman decisions to the provincial governor.
In a decision dated 20 January 2026, the Governor of Sindh accepted Alvi’s representation and overturned the ombudsman’s findings, effectively declaring him not guilty of sexual harassment. According to the petition, the order was communicated to Khan via mail on 3 February 2026.
Grounds of challenge
In her petition before the Sindh High Court, Khan argues that the governor’s order is legally flawed and contrary to established jurisprudence on workplace harassment.
She contends that the governor failed to apply the broader legal definition of harassment established by the Supreme Court in the landmark case Nadia Naz v. President of Pakistan (PLD 2023 SC 588).
The petition claims the governor’s decision narrowly examined the allegations only through the lens of sexual advances, while ignoring other legally recognized forms of harassment, including, gender-based discrimination and hostility; creation of a hostile work environment and demeaning or degrading conduct toward women.
The petitioner further argues that the governor failed to apply the “reasonable woman” test, which courts have held must be used to evaluate whether workplace conduct amounts to harassment.
According to the petition, the governor was required to examine the conduct both objectively and subjectively, considering how a reasonable woman would perceive the behaviour in a professional setting. The petition alleges that this analysis was entirely absent from the impugned order.
Relief sought
Mahreen Aziz Khan has asked the Sindh High Court to declare the governor’s order illegal and without lawful authority, and set aside the decision that cleared Moonis Alvi. She has asked the court to restore or reconsider the findings of the provincial ombudsman.
Court proceedings
The Sindh High Court has issued notices to the respondents, including the Governor of Sindh, Moonis Alvi, and other relevant parties connected to the case.
The matter is scheduled for hearing on April 16, 2026, when the court is expected to take up preliminary arguments on the maintainability and merits of the petition.
The case is likely to raise significant legal questions about the scope of the governor’s appellate powers under the workplace harassment law and the standards required for reviewing ombudsman decisions in harassment cases.