Former PTV female employee opens up about harassment by manager

Former Pakistan Television (PTV) employee Mahjabeen Abid shared her experience of alleged workplace harassment during her tenure at the state broadcaster’s Multan center. According to her, a senior official not only harassed her but also fired her after she raised a complaint against his inappropriate behavior.

Taking to X, Mahjabeen detailed the trauma and mental anguish she endured after facing pressure and intimidation for calling out the toxic conduct of the general manager.

She alleged that the official dismissed her from her position over a phone call and she was unable to work for over a year due to the psychological trauma.

Mahjabeen stated that she lodged a formal complaint with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, which led to an inquiry. The inquiry reportedly found the official guilty of workplace harassment under the Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act, 2010.

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However, taking a stand came at a personal cost. She said that soon after the complaint was filed, she became the target of a coordinated defamation and intimidation campaign led by supporters of the accused.

“During this inquiry, I was subjected to a vile, coordinated defamation campaign on facebook by his friends. My private life was dragged, my family was dragged, I was stalked online. People from his social circle contacted me and tried everything to make me back off,” she wrote.

I am Mahjabeen Abid, an independent journalist based in Multan. I worked as Coordinator Current Affairs at PTV Multan, where I produced and hosted my own Prime-time show. But this is not about my work. This is about harassment and injustice.
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— Mahjabeen Abid (@Mahjabeen_Abid) July 17, 2025

Following the inquiry, the manager was removed from his position. However, he challenged the findings at the Federal Ombudsperson Secretariat for Protection Against Harassment, prompting a second investigation.

"I appeared in hearings with my parents, and relived every detail of the trauma,” Mahjabeen said.

A new inquiry committee found that dismissing an employee over a phone call constituted ‘misconduct’. However, it controversially cleared the manager of the verbal harassment charges, citing a lack of evidence.

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PTV maintained that the accused was warned after the inquiry, but Mahjabeen claimed that the same official has now been reappointed as the General Manager of PTV Multan.

Mahjabeen expressed deep frustration with the system, which, she said, punishes women for speaking out. She questioned why verbal harassment is not taken seriously and why victims are expected to provide tangible evidence for such claims.

She said the entire ordeal took a severe toll on her mental health, leading her to isolate herself due to the continuous psychological pressure, only to witness her alleged harasser walk free and reclaim his position.