ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Finance on Wednesday directed the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to immediately act against commercial banks allegedly forcing female employees to wear abayas, terming the practice unconstitutional and discriminatory.
PPP Senator Dr Zarqa Taimur strongly objected, asserting that Pakistani women already observe modest dress and no additional religious attire can be imposed. Senior PML-N Senator Farooq H. Naek equated the compulsion to “forcing a man to grow a beard”, questioning how the central bank permitted such policies.
Committee Chairman Saleem Mandviwalla announced that concerned banks would be summoned to explain their dress code rules. In a separate scathing remark, Mandviwalla accused many Islamic banking institutions of committing “fraud and deception” by charging higher profit rates than conventional banks despite claiming Shariah compliance.
The strong bipartisan condemnation reflects growing parliamentary scrutiny of workplace gender policies and the pricing practices of Islamic financial institutions. The SBP has been asked to submit a compliance report in the next meeting while the offending banks face potential regulatory action if found violating employees’ constitutional right to personal freedom and expression.