The Punjab Ombudsperson for Protection against Harassment has exonerated Secretary of the Punjab Local Government Board (PLGB), Rizwan Nazir, from allegations of harassment following a detailed inquiry into the complaint filed by a female municipal officer.
The written verdict was issued after the conclusion of the inquiry initiated on a formal complaint submitted by Mehwish Naeem, Zonal Planning Officer at Data Ganj Bakhsh Zone, Lahore Metropolitan Corporation. The complainant had accused the Secretary of harassment in a petition submitted to the Punjab Ombudsperson’s office.
According to official sources, the inquiry included statements and evidence presented by both parties. During the proceedings, Secretary Rizwan Nazir categorically denied all allegations, asserting that the complainant, Mehwish Naeem, was facing a number of departmental inquiries and legal proceedings. These include an FIR lodged at the Anti-Corruption Police Station on charges of bribery, as well as 11 departmental inquiries related to unauthorized constructions and abuse of authority.
Secretary Nazir further submitted that the harassment complaint appeared to be retaliatory in nature, allegedly filed after departmental action was taken against the complainant. He also highlighted that the officer had previously leveled similar allegations of harassment against other senior and peer-level officials.
Throughout the investigation, the complainant failed to present any substantial evidence such as video or audio recordings to support her claims. The defense remained verbal and lacked documentary proof or corroborative material.
After examining the positions of both parties, Ombudsperson Punjab, Ms. Nabila Khan, ruled in favor of the Secretary PLGB. The decision stated that no concrete evidence of harassment was presented, and therefore, Rizwan Nazir has been declared innocent of all charges. The Ombudsperson’s office has officially issued the written verdict to the concerned authorities.