Senate passes bill for mandatory paternity leave

Another bill makes vaccination for universal immunisation of children compulsory in ICT

ISLAMABAD: The Senate has passed a bill for allowing maternity and paternity leaves to employees of public and private establishments, despite opposition by the government.

When the Maternity and Paternity Leave Bill, 2018 was presented in the upper house on Monday, Minister for Economic Affairs Hammad Azhar opposed it, saying there is already a law that allows 90-day maternity leave to a female employee while a male government employee could avail 48-day leaves in a year.

However, the house adopted the bill – moved by Senator Quratulain Marri – which allows an expecting mother six-month-leave and a father three-month-leave. Public and private institutions which refuse their employees this facility will face legal action.

Now the bill will now be sent to the National Assembly for its approval.

According to the statement of objects and reasons of the bill, the working women are a growing reality in Pakistan and that the Article 37(e) of the Constitution provides maternity benefits to women and entitles them to leave.

It said the bill aims at providing expectant mothers the maximum required leave in order to facilitate them to fulfil obligations of motherhood without having to compromise on their professional growth.

“At present, the law does not mandate provision of paternity leave for male employees where the need for the institutionalisation of such support structure is no different. Research suggested that enabling fathers to look after their new born children has positive ‘knock-on effects’.

“The early close relationship between the father and child had long term implications. This bill seeks to provide fathers the opportunity to be there at the crucial time without the added responsibility of the workplace,” it said.

The house also passed a bill moved by Senator Ayesha Farooq to give power to the government to make vaccination for universal immunisation of children compulsory in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) and to protect the health workers designated for the immunisation programmes.

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Senator Ayesha Raza told the upper house that this bill was passed in the past as well but it lapsed in the National Assembly. Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Azam Swati supported the bill and said the government would pursue the bill in the National Assembly.

According to the bill’s statement of objects, one out of 10 children in Pakistan dies before he reaches his fifth birthday. A large percentage of these children die of diseases which could be prevented through vaccination.

Vaccination coverage in the country has remained abysmally low despite a government-run vaccination programme that was established in 1978 to provide free-of-charge vaccination services against fatal and disability causing infectious diseases.

The country was not on track to reach either Millennium Development Goal (MDG) or its national immunisation targets. Each year billions of rupees in investment is made in the programme besides millions of dollars in aid from international donors, the statement of objectives said.

Pakistan had an annual birth cohort of 5.7 million children and it has been the largest recipient of international support to date with over $842 million committed till 2019. The bill makes immunisation compulsory for every child by involving a range of persuasive measures.

Winding up discussion on a deferred motion that the house may discuss health problems faced by the children in Islamabad due to malnutrition, Swati said currently 19 health units are providing facilities to children.

Swati said a comprehensive plan to address malnutrition is being launched under the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan. He lauded the senators for raising social issues, including malnutrition.

Earlier, speaking on the motion, Senator Mushtaq Ahmed said an affordable health care solution could help save stunting, wasting and malnutrition in children.

Ayesha Raza stressed the need for chalking out national nutrition plan and proper funding to address this grave issue. Dr Meher Taj Roghani said breastfeeding for two years could help end nutrition in children.

Earlier, the Senate offered fateha for the persons who lost their lives in the recent earthquake in Turkey. Opposition Leader Raja Zafarul Haq had drawn the attention of the house to the tragedy.

Swati said Turkey has always stood with Pakistan whenever a tragedy strike the country  and now on this occasion Pakistan and its every citizens is ready to help out Turkey.

(With additional input from APP)