KARACHI: In line with the police department, the Sindh government has begun applying 10-day paternity leave to its male employees as allowed through the Gazette of Pakistan 2019, it emerged on Friday.

Officials in the provincial government said the finance ministry had written to the authorities in the Sindh Secretariat and other related departments to allow for the 10-day paternity leave for its employees.

They added that the National Assembly had passed an ‘extraordinary’ bill enabling them to look after their expecting wives.

The bill guarantees leave along with full pay and allowances outside of employees’ leave account, which was also allowed through the Gazette of Pakistan in January this year.

“The same leave has also come into force or notified or allowed in the Sindh police with effect from Feb 14, 2019 to all their officials/officers,” said a communiqué by the finance ministry sent to the Sindh Secretariat.

Officials said the same had not been notified by the competent authority for the employees of the Sindh government or the secretariat employees.

However, officials added, the matters relating to the issue had been resolved and that facility would be given to all employees of the provincial government beginning with those working in the secretariat.

The federal government had approved the 10-day paternity leave for its male employees in January.

The ministry of human rights had said a clause had been added to the rules of the National Commission on the Status of Women for that.

The newly added clause says: “A male employee in regular service shall be allowed paternity leave for a period of 10 days with full pay and allowances outside his leave account from the date of his wife’s confinement.”

The Sindh Maternity Benefits Act, 2018, which applies to private, government and semi-government organisations, mandates 16 weeks of paid maternity leave to new mothers — four weeks prior to delivery and 12 weeks following childbirth.

Published in Dawn, November 30th, 2019