The harassment case, which has unfolded within the ranks of an educational institution of Balochistan, has broadly been described as a “scandal,” “blackmailing” or a “shocking” incident. The entire episode is hued with a verbatim that still needs to be shaped and mainstreamed as far as harassment cases are concerned. The terms “sexual harassment” and “scandal” used by media are unjustifiable in many ways. First, sexual harassment is subjected to be a crime following the enactment of anti-harassment laws in Pakistan vis-à-vis by provinces. Using a verbatim and spinning the meaning of words is tantamount to paving the way for accused to escape. Thus, the brazen act ought to be considered a heinous crime rather than a “scandal.” Unfortunately, the province has taken a lead on the list of issues that have been persistently eroding into the roots of the social fabric of the province. The recent brazen crime of harassment committed by the surveillance officials of Balochistan University has ripped through the social fabric of the society based on values and cultural norms, which give the women a respectful place. Factually, the oldest and the largest university of Balochistan has set a bizarre and hazardous “example” particularly for female students, who wish to pursue higher education in Balochistan in the future. Reasonably, the case boils down to the fact that within a male-dominated society, leaving parents susceptible might corroborate the thought of insecurity. More reciprocating will be the reaction to freeze the opportunities for female students who aspire for higher education in future. Justifiably, there have been three primary reasons, which have contributed to the increase in sexual harassment cases, specifically in Balochistan. The foremost factor remains either the proper implementation of anti-harassment laws or the nonexistence of such laws to protect women against harassment. Secondly, the dearth of “legal education” at the grassroots level remains a prime factor too. Unawareness about laws enacted for the protection of women against any crime leads to strengthening an attitude of silence among women who believe that any crime unleashed on them is a part of their fate. Finally, contributing to the issue is the collective collapse of feminist movements in Pakistan, which have, time and again, remained confined to urbanised areas. The movements have lacked prowess to appeal to the women residing in rural areas to bring them under the umbrella of feminism. The “criminal” act of sexual harassment in Balochistan University exposes a pathetic state of higher education in Balochistan Fatefully, Balochistan is enlisted among the provinces, which have come up with anti-harassment laws. Balochistan succeeded in passing “Balochistan Protection Against Harassment of Women at Workplaces” act in 2016. On a similar foot, Punjab and Sindh came up with similar laws to curb issues of harassment against women at workplaces. So far, Punjab has been moving on an upward scale in terms of implementing the harassment law. Comparatively, laws in Sindh and Balochistan have not been implemented in letter and spirit. For instance, the Balochistan government had not appointed a female ombudsperson under section seven of the act until 2019. Similarly, the term “workplace,” inserted in the act, remains obscurant towards mentioning educational institutions. However, the definition of the term “organisation” enunciated in the act mentions educational institutions. Therefore, the culprits ought to be subjected to major punishments enshrined in the law. Apart from being held culprit, according to the harassment laws of the country, the culprits equally violate article 14(1) of the constitution of Pakistan, which provides every citizen of the country with the fundamental right of privacy. The article states that: “[T]he dignity of man and, subject to law, the privacy of home shall be inviolable.” Similarly, Pakistan has been a signatory of various regional and international covenants on privacy. In 2008, it signed International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Article 17 of ICCPR stated that: “No one shall be subject to arbitrary or unlawful interference with his privacy, family or correspondence.” Further, Pakistan is also a signatory of the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam (CDHRI). Article 18(b) of CDHRI confirmed that: “Everyone shall have the right to privacy in the conduct of his private affairs, in his home, among his family, with regard to his property and his relationships. It is not permitted to spy on him, to place him under surveillance or to besmirch his good name. The ‘State’ shall protect him from arbitrary interference.” The “criminal” act of sexual harassment in Balochistan University exposes a pathetic state of higher education in Balochistan. Once again, it is the high court that fairly dispenses justice to the victims. However, the weak implementation of the law lies at the core of the problem and political influence in the case is also feared. Establishment of an inquiry committee might not serve the cause as FIA has said to have taken action after a thorough investigation of months. If the issue is guised otherwise and emphasise put on establishing an inquiry committee, fair trial and justice might confront the hurdles posed by political interference. To reduce the presage of such incidents in future, legal education ought to be made part of the curriculum to educate the students about sexual harassment and laws enacted to protect the victim vis-à-vis penalise the perpetrators of sexual harassment. However, achieving this goal needs strong laws implemented fairly and the justice dispensed in recent harassment case will be a watershed moment! The writer is a journalist and researcher