Strict and Effective Laws Essential to Protect Women from Workplace Harassment: Balochistan CM Sarfraz Bugti

QUETTA: Chief Minister of Balochistan, Mir Sarfraz Bugti, has emphasized the urgent need for strict and effective laws to protect women from harassment in workplaces, saying that ensuring a safe and dignified environment for women is the state’s fundamental responsibility.

He expressed these views while inaugurating the new **Directorate of the Provincial Ombudsperson for Anti-Harassment** on Wednesday. During the event, Secretary of the Women Development Department, **Saira Atta**, briefed the chief minister on the directorate’s functions and ongoing measures for women’s protection.

CM Bugti directed officials to **review existing anti-harassment laws** and make them **more stringent** so that women can perform their professional duties with confidence and respect. He further ordered that even if parties in a harassment case reach a settlement, **the government must continue pursuing the case** to ensure that offenders are punished under the law and made an example for others.

He described harassment against women as a “serious social problem” requiring not only strong legislation but also **collective awareness and social commitment**. He instructed that women who report harassment should be **encouraged and provided full legal and psychological support** so they can come forward without fear.

Bugti also called for **activating anti-harassment committees** across all departments and strengthening the office of the **Provincial Ombudsperson for Anti-Harassment** to make it more effective.

> “Women are an honorable and respected part of our society,” he said. “It is the state’s duty to ensure their safety and dignity — a responsibility on which there can be no compromise.”

Provincial ministers **Mir Shoaib Nosherwani**, **Bakh Muhammad Kakar**, parliamentary secretaries **Mir Barkat Rind** and **Haji Wali Muhammad Noorzai** also attended the ceremony.

Earlier, CM Bugti officially inaugurated the newly established **Directorate of the Provincial Ombudsperson for Anti-Harassment**.