In a landmark ruling on February 16, 2026, the Federal Ombudsperson for Protection Against Harassment (FOSPAH), Fauzia Waqar, mandated that the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) grant paternity leave to Syed Basit Ali, whose request had been denied. The Ombudsperson imposed a fine of PKR 500,000 on SBP, with PKR 400,000 to be paid directly to Ali and PKR 100,000 to the national treasury. Waqar emphasized that denying paternity leave constitutes gender-based discrimination, stating, "The denial of paternity leave to the Complainant, to which he is legally entitled as a father, while allowing maternity leave to female employees, constitutes clear gender-based discrimination." This ruling follows the enactment of the Maternity and Paternity Leave Act, 2023, which SBP had previously claimed did not apply to them due to their autonomous status. Waqar refuted this, clarifying that SBP falls under the administrative control of the federal government and must comply with the law.