Islamabad (HRNW) – The Federal Ombudsman for Protection Against Harassment has issued a landmark ruling declaring that fathers must also be granted leave at the birth of a child, making paternity leave mandatory.
In the decision, the Ombudsman imposed a fine of Rs500,000 on the State Bank of Pakistan for denying 30 days of paternity leave to bank officer Syed Basit Ali. 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 Ombudsman further directed the State Bank to grant the officer 30 days of paternity leave with pay and to formulate a formal policy under the Maternity and Paternity Leave Act 2023. The ruling stated that granting maternity leave while denying paternity leave constitutes gender-based discrimination and may amount to harassment, emphasizing that childcare is a shared responsibility of both parents.
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