Senate Panel Urges SBP to End Mandatory Abaya Policy for Female Bank Staff

A parliamentary committee and the government agreed to press the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to stop commercial banks from requiring female employees to wear abayas, arguing that women should not be compelled to adopt a specific religious appearance at work. The issue was raised during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Finance, where Senator Zarqa Suharwardy reported that some Islamic banks were forcing female staff to wear abayas at counters. “Pakistani women already use decent clothing and should not be forced to wear abayas at Islamic bank counters to give a religious look,” she told the committee. Committee chair Senator Saleem Mandviwala and other members supported the call for intervention, with Senator Farooq Naik describing the practice as a violation of personal freedom. “Compelling a female banker to wear an abaya is like forcing somebody to grow a beard against his will,” Naik said, though he questioned how the central bank could police such internal policies. A representative from the SBP clarified that dress codes currently vary by bank. Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kiyani, who said he was unaware of the practice, promised to raise the issue with the SBP governor. The committee recommended that the SBP issue a regulatory notification requiring banks to enforce a “modest, professional dress” code, rather than mandating specific religious garments for female employees.