The Senate Standing Committee on Finance on Wednesday urged the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to clarify workplace dress code policies after lawmakers objected to reports that an Islamic bank had made abayas mandatory for female employees.
Senator Zarqa Suharwardy said women should be free to wear Pakistan’s national dress of shalwar kameez with a dupatta instead of being required to wear an abaya. Senator Sherry Rehman added that no financial institution should be allowed to impose abayas or headscarves on its employees and called on SBP to issue clear guidelines for banks.
The committee also reviewed complaints about the freezing of bank accounts, including those of parliamentarians. Members criticized delays in resolving such cases.
SBP Governor Jameel Ahmad said the central bank would designate two dedicated officers to handle issues faced by MNAs and senators.
Separately, lawmakers debated taxes collected through electricity bills after claims that consumers were being overburdened. FBR Chairman Rashid Mahmood Langrial said sales tax on electricity had not been increased over the past two years.
FBR officials told the committee that a total of Rs. 476 billion had been collected through electricity bills, including Rs. 270 billion in sales tax and Rs. 154 billion in income tax.
They said domestic consumers do not pay income tax through electricity bills.
The committee also examined proposed legal amendments related to the Reko Diq mining project, with some members questioning why certain incentives were limited to a single project instead of being extended to other investors.
Elsewhere, senators directed officials to resolve pending compensation and dues of Senate employees within seven days.
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