ISLAMABAD: Federal Ombudsperson for Protection Against Harassment Fauzia Waqar has ruled that fathers must be granted 30 days of paternity leave upon the birth of a child, declaring it mandatory under the law.
The decision came after a complaint was filed by a bank officer, Syed Basit Ali, who was denied paternity leave by the State Bank of Pakistan. The ombudsperson imposed a fine of Rs500,000 on the State Bank for failing to grant the leave.
According to the order, Rs400,000 of the fine will be paid to the complainant, while Rs100,000 will be deposited into the national treasury.
The ombudsperson further directed the State Bank to grant the complainant 30 days of paid paternity leave with full salary benefits. The bank has also been instructed to formulate a comprehensive policy on maternity and paternity leave in accordance with the Maternity and Paternity Leave Act 2023.
The ruling states that denying paternity leave constitutes gender-based discrimination and amounts to harassment. It emphasized that granting maternity leave while refusing paternity leave reflects gender bias.
The ombudsperson noted that childcare is not solely the responsibility of women. Denying paternity leave undermines shared parental responsibility and is contrary to the best interests of the child.
