ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly’s Special Committee on Gender Mainstreaming on Saturday urged the federal government to vigorously pursue its review petition against a recent Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) judgement, warning that a restrictive interpretation of workplace harassment laws could undermine protections against gender-based discrimination.
The committee, which met at Parliament House under the chairpersonship of Dr Nafisa Shah, also reviewed the performance of the Federal Ombudsperson Secretariat for Protection against Harassment (Fospah) and the gender-wise implementation of the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme (PMYP).
During the meeting, Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan briefed members on the grounds for the government’s review petition in the case of Usman Shahid vs Nadia Sarwar.
He said the judgement appeared to have overlooked important legislative amendments and observed that the court might not have been properly assisted on the relevant legal provisions. He said the government could request the court to reconsider the matter in light of the earlier Supreme Court interpretation.
Ruling appears to have overlooked important legislative amendments, AG tells committee
Fospah Chairperson Fauzia Viqar highlighted the significance of the 2022 amendment to the law, which explicitly included gender-based discrimination in the definition of harassment, irrespective of whether it was sexual in nature. She said requiring harassment to demonstrate sexual intent was inconsistent with both the spirit and the letter of the amended law.
Dr Nafisa Shah observed that the judgement appeared to depart from parliament’s legislative intent and the evolving jurisprudence of the Supreme Court.
The committee also referred to the principles laid down in Nadia Naz vs President of Pakistan, which recognised workplace harassment as a manifestation of power imbalances and gender-based domination.
Members expressed concern that requiring independent third-party corroboration could discourage complainants, particularly in cases involving private or digital settings, and undermine constitutional guarantees of equality and dignity.
The committee recommended that the government and the Law Division vigorously pursue the review petition to safeguard protections under Section 2(h)(ii) of the law and preserve appropriate standards of proof in civil proceedings.
Reviewing Fospah’s performance, the committee was informed that the institution had received 7,095 complaints since its establishment in 2010 and disposed of 6,944 cases, achieving a 98pc resolution rate.
In 2025, the secretariat resolved 1,288 of the 1,290 complaints it received. The committee appreciated its performance but stressed the need for effective safeguards against retaliation involving complainants and witnesses.
The committee also examined gender representation under the PMYP’s four-pronged framework of education, employment, engagement and environment. MNA Amna Batool, the programme’s youth focal person, said efforts were being made to bridge the gender digital divide and empower young women across the country.
She said Rs37 billion had been disbursed to 121,034 women under the PM Youth Business and Agriculture Loan Scheme between January 2023 and September 2026, raising female participation to 21 per cent. The scheme’s non-performing loan rate among women stood at 0.7 per cent.
Female participation in skills training under the Navttc programme reached 46 per cent in 2026, exceeding the 33 per cent quota, with 35,201 women enrolled. Another 500 women received specialised technical training under the “She Fixes” pilot initiative.
Women also secured 55,728 merit-based laptops under Phase-IV, accounting for 58.5 per cent of recipients, while 48 per cent of PEEF scholarship beneficiaries were female.
The committee recommended that the State Bank of Pakistan and commercial banks establish a minimum 33 per cent benchmark for women’s participation in youth and agricultural loans.
It also called for rural support organisations to facilitate interest-free microfinance loans of up to Rs500,000 for marginalised rural women. Members stressed the need for multilingual awareness campaigns and parliamentary orientation sessions to improve the programme’s reach in remote districts.
The committee constituted a four-member subcommittee, headed by Senator Rubina Qaim Khani, to examine women’s representation in Parliament and related institutions, identify barriers to their participation and recommend measures to strengthen gender equality and institutional support.
Published in Dawn, November 8th, 2026
