{
  "id": 10618935,
  "title": "FCC narrows scope of workplace harassment",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/28/fcc-narrows-scope-of-workplace-harassment",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-28T18:18:16.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Express Tribune - Pakistan",
    "slug": "the-express-tribune-pakistan",
    "url": "https://tribune.com.pk/story/2631969/fcc-narrows-scope-of-workplace-harassment"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) has restricted the definition of workplace harassment under the Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act, 2010, stating that misconduct or objectionable behavior does not meet the ombudsperson's criteria unless the conduct is sexual in nature. A three-judge FCC panel, led by Chief Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan, ruled that workplace behavior can generally be considered harassment, but won't be considered actionable unless it's inherently sexual. This ruling contradicts the Supreme Court's 2025 interpretation, which expanded the definition to include gender-based discrimination and hostile work environments stemming from power and domination, not just sexual desire. The FCC disagreed, maintaining that the statutory definition in Section 2(h) requires sexual harassment for conduct to be considered actionable under the 2010 Act. The court emphasized that any misconduct, while potentially harmful, wouldn't be considered harassment unless it had a sexual origin. The FCC noted that the Act was intended to protect both women and men from sexual harassment at the workplace. The judgment clarified that conduct deemed harassing could have negative effects but wouldn't be cognizable by the ombudsperson without a sexual element. It distinguished between gender-based sexual discrimination, which could be actionable, and ordinary misconduct, which might trigger departmental disciplinary proceedings instead.",
  "summary": "Disagrees with SC; says misconduct not harassment unless it has sexual dimensions",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}