On February 16, 2026, the Federal Ombudsman for Anti-Harassment, Fauzia Waqar, made a landmark ruling mandating that fathers must be granted 30 days of paternity leave upon the birth of a child. This decision came after the State Bank of Pakistan was fined 500,000 PKR for denying paternity leave to an employee, Syed Basit Ali. The Ombudsman emphasized that denying such leave constitutes gender-based harassment, stating, "The refusal of paternity leave is tantamount to gender discrimination and undermines the shared responsibility of parenting." The ruling also directed the State Bank to develop a policy in compliance with the Maternity and Paternity Leave Act of 2023, highlighting that child-rearing responsibilities should not fall solely on mothers.