A parliamentary committee has urged the federal government to vigorously pursue its workplace harassment law review, warning that a narrow reading could weaken protections against gender-based discrimination.
The National Assembly’s Special Committee on Gender Mainstreaming met at Parliament House on Saturday under Dr Nafisa Shah, Dawn reported. Members warned that a restrictive reading could undermine safeguards parliament had deliberately strengthened.
Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan briefed the committee on the grounds for the government’s review petition in the case of Usman Shahid versus Nadia Sarwar. He said the judgement appeared to have overlooked important legislative amendments, and that the court might not have been properly assisted on the relevant provisions. The government could ask the court to reconsider the matter in light of the earlier Supreme Court interpretation.
The 2022 amendment at the centre of the workplace harassment law review
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 versus 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.
Harassment watchdog reports 98 per cent disposal rate
Reviewing the performance of the Federal Ombudsperson Secretariat for Protection against Harassment (Fospah), 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 98 per cent resolution rate.
In 2025, it resolved 1,288 of the 1,290 complaints it received. The committee praised its performance but stressed the need for safeguards against retaliation involving complainants and witnesses.
The figures show a system that, on paper, works. The committee’s concern is that the FCC judgement could narrow the door through which complaints enter it. If harassment must show sexual intent, or must be backed by a third-party witness, cases that happen behind closed doors or in private messages may never reach a hearing.
Youth programme data shows gaps for women
The committee also examined gender representation under the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme. MNA Amna Batool, the programme’s youth focal person, said efforts were being made to bridge the gender digital divide and empower young women.
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, with a non-performing loan rate of 0.7 per cent among women.
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. 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 a minimum 33 per cent benchmark for women’s participation in youth and agricultural loans, interest-free microfinance loans of up to Rs500,000 for marginalised rural women, and multilingual awareness campaigns to improve the programme’s reach in remote districts.
A four-member subcommittee headed by Senator Rubina Qaim Khani will examine women’s representation in Parliament and recommend measures to strengthen gender equality.
The Federal Constitutional Court has already shaped the limits of other institutions this year, having barred the Peshawar High Court from hearing detention cases of PTI workers. Courts have also ruled that daughters are eligible for their parents’ family pension, and the Supreme Court freed siblings after 20 years in a blasphemy case.
Frequently asked questions
What did the parliamentary committee ask the government to do?
The National Assembly’s Special Committee on Gender Mainstreaming urged the government to vigorously pursue its review petition against a Federal Constitutional Court judgement on workplace harassment laws, warning that a restrictive reading could weaken protections against gender-based discrimination.
What is the case about?
The review petition concerns the case of Usman Shahid versus Nadia Sarwar. The Attorney General told the committee the judgement appeared to have overlooked the 2022 amendment, which included gender-based discrimination in the definition of harassment even when it was not sexual in nature.
How many complaints has Fospah handled?
Fospah has received 7,095 complaints since 2010 and disposed of 6,944, a resolution rate of 98 per cent. In 2025 it resolved 1,288 of the 1,290 complaints it received.
What did the committee recommend for women in the youth programme?
It recommended a minimum 33 per cent benchmark for women’s participation in youth and agricultural loans, interest-free microfinance loans of up to Rs500,000 for marginalised rural women, and a subcommittee on women’s representation in Parliament.
