Federal Ombud Orders Mandatory Paternity Leave; State Bank Fined Rs 5 Lakh

Islamabad: The Federal Ombud for Protection Against Harassment, Fauzia Waqar, has issued a landmark ruling mandating that fathers must be granted leave upon the birth of a child. The decision came after a complaint that a bank officer was denied 30 days of paternity leave.

The officer, Syed Basit Ali, had approached the Ombud after his leave request was rejected. As a result, State Bank of Pakistan was fined Rs 5 lakh. Of this amount, Rs 4 lakh will be paid to the complainant officer, while Rs 1 lakh will be deposited into the national treasury.

The Ombud directed the bank to provide 30 days of paternity leave with full pay and instructed the institution to formulate a policy under the Maternity and Paternity Leave Act 2023. The ruling emphasized that denial of paternity leave constitutes gender-based harassment, and that both maternity and paternity leave are essential to prevent gender discrimination.

According to Fauzia Waqar, child care is not solely a woman’s responsibility, and denying paternity leave undermines the shared responsibility of parents and the best interests of the child.

The complaint arose after the State Bank, citing the absence of a formal policy, rejected Syed Basit Ali’s request for paternity leave under the new law.