Draft — monitor run 2026-10-17 19:05 PKT

• Suggested slug: nha-harassment-warning-female-interns
• Category: National
• Focus keyphrase: NHA harassment warning
• SEO title: NHA Warns Staff After 10 Female Interns Allege Harassment
• Meta description: The National Highway Authority warned staff against workplace harassment after at least 10 female interns alleged misconduct by officers this year.
• Tags: NHA harassment, workplace harassment Pakistan, female interns, Protection Against Harassment Act, NHA circular, Asadullah Khan
• Original element: explainer context — how the Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act 2010 (amended 2022) works, and why the reliance on verbal complaints matters for accountability
• Source: ProPakistani (“NHA Warns Employees Against Harassment After Female Interns’ Complaints”, published 17 Oct 2026, 5:44 PM PKT / 12:44 UTC; original reporting by The Nation)

NHA Warns Staff After 10 Female Interns Allege Harassment

The National Highway Authority has warned its employees against workplace harassment after receiving at least 10 verbal complaints from female interns alleging misconduct by officers and officials during the current year.

The complaints were brought to the attention of the NHA’s Committee for Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace. The committee responded with a circular directing employees to maintain professional standards and refrain from any form of harassment or inappropriate behaviour.

Sources told The Nation that at least 10 female interns had approached the committee with verbal complaints against NHA officers and officials. None submitted a formal written complaint, the sources said, adding that the grievances had been addressed individually with senior officials from the relevant wings.

What the circular says

The NHA engages college and university students as interns to give them practical experience in a professional environment, with placements generally offered around the middle of the year.

In its circular, the committee described the complaints as a matter of “great concern” and an embarrassment for the organisation. It directed all employees to refrain from inappropriate or sexually oriented remarks, gestures and comments, as well as any unwanted physical contact with employees, interns or trainees.

The circular also stressed that all official communications, including telephone calls, text messages, emails and interactions on social media, must remain professional and appropriate. Employees were instructed to respect the dignity and privacy of colleagues, interns and trainees, irrespective of gender, rank or religion.

The authority specifically warned employees against abusing their official position or influence to seek personal or sexual favours. It also prohibited intimidation, victimisation or retaliation against anyone who reported a complaint to the workplace harassment committee.

Action promised under the 2010 law

Emphasising professional standards, the circular directed employees to maintain discipline, decency and appropriate conduct when dealing with colleagues, subordinates, interns, trainees and visitors. It warned that disciplinary proceedings would be initiated against violators under the Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act, 2010, as amended in 2022.

Heads of wings at NHA headquarters, and officials overseeing zones, regions, projects and sections, have been directed to circulate the instructions and ensure strict compliance.

The NHA’s chief executive officer, Captain (retired) Asadullah Khan, confirmed to The Nation that the matter had come to his attention and pledged strict action against employees found involved in such misconduct. He said the authority would go beyond issuing warnings and would pursue those involved, even where complaints had been made verbally.

“I have issued the directions. No one will be spared,” he said. “The issue is not tolerable.”

Why verbal complaints are the weak link

The 2010 law requires every organisation to set up an inquiry committee and lays down a formal process: a written complaint, an inquiry, and penalties that can include dismissal. Verbal complaints, however sincere, sit outside that machinery. They are easier to make, which is why interns with the least power in the building chose that route, but they are also easier to set aside.

That is what makes the CEO’s pledge significant. By promising action “even where complaints had been made verbally,” the authority is committing to treat informal reports as triggers for formal scrutiny. Whether that promise survives contact with the NHA’s internal hierarchies is the real test.

For the interns, most of them students on short mid-year placements, the episode shows how exposed young workers are in large public-sector bodies. A circular is a start. What happens to the next ten complaints will say more.

FAQs

What prompted the NHA warning?

At least 10 female interns made verbal complaints to the NHA’s workplace harassment committee this year, alleging misconduct by officers and officials. The committee issued a circular calling the complaints a matter of “great concern”.

What does the circular prohibit?

Inappropriate or sexually oriented remarks, gestures and comments, unwanted physical contact, abuse of official position to seek personal or sexual favours, and intimidation or retaliation against complainants.

What law applies?

The Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act, 2010, as amended in 2022, under which disciplinary proceedings can be initiated against violators.

What did the NHA chief executive say?

Captain (retired) Asadullah Khan confirmed the matter to The Nation and pledged strict action, saying: “I have issued the directions. No one will be spared. The issue is not tolerable.”

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