KARACHI: The Federal Ombudsperson for Anti-Harassment, Fauzia Viqar, has declared that fathers are entitled to paternity leave following the birth of their child.
The decision came after a complaint was filed by bank officer Basit Ali, who was denied paternity leave by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).
The ombudsperson imposed a fine of Rs500,000 on SBP for failing to grant the officer 30 days of paternity leave. Of the fine, Rs. 400,000 will be paid to the complainant, Basit Ali, and Rs. 100,000 will be deposited into the national treasury.
In addition to the fine, the Ombudsperson directed the central to grant Basit Ali 30 days of paternity leave, along with an appropriate salary adjustment.
The decision also mandated SBP to develop a policy on maternity and paternity leave in compliance with the Maternity and Paternity Leave Act of 2023.
The Ombudsperson’s ruling stressed that denying paternity leave constitutes gender-based harassment and discrimination.
It further emphasized that the responsibility of caring for children should not solely fall on women. The decision noted that rejecting paternity leave undermines shared parental responsibility and harms the best interests of the child.
This ruling comes after Ali had approached the Ombudsperson when his paternity leave request was rejected by the bank, which cited the absence of a related policy.
