Islamabad: The Senate Standing Committee on Finance has taken serious notice of reports that several banks are compelling female staff to wear the abaya, prompting the committee to seek a detailed explanation from the institutions concerned. Minister of State for Finance, Bilal Azhar Kayani, assured the committee that the matter would be taken up with the State Bank of Pakistan and resolved promptly.
The committee meeting, chaired by Senator Saleem Mandviwalla at the Parliament House, was attended by the Minister of State for Finance, the Secretary Finance, committee members, and senior officials. During the meeting, Senator Mandviwalla expressed concern over Islamic banks charging higher profit rates, stating that excessive charges under the guise of Islamic banking also need to be examined.
Senator Dr. Zarqa raised the issue of dress code policies in banks, arguing that Pakistani women already dress modestly and that enforcing the abaya is unnecessary and inappropriate. The committee decided to summon representatives of various banks to clarify the matter. Committee member Senator Farooq H. Naek also criticized the policy, saying that forcing someone to wear an abaya is akin to compelling someone to grow a beard - an unreasonable imposition. He questioned how the State Bank could allow such a directive.
Responding, Minister of State Bilal Azhar Kayani said he had been unaware of the issue but agreed with the concerns raised by the committee members. He assured the committee that the matter would be discussed with the State Bank.
During the meeting, Deputy Auditor General Taffakur Ali explained that a typographical error in an Auditor General's report resulted in 'million' being mistakenly written as 'billion' in the executive summary, inflating the total figure to 375 billion. He said disciplinary action was already underway. The Minister of State noted that the total amount under discussion was 9 trillion, and the miscalculation occurred during compilation. He proposed a separate meeting with the Auditor General's Office to verify all figures, which the committee accepted.
The committee also approved Senator Kamran Murtaza's request to retain his agenda item for the next meeting.
On the issue of installing cameras in factories, the Minister of State explained that the initiative benefits the business community because it eliminates the need for on-site FBR personnel. He said AI and video analytics are being used to track production accurately. He added that reducing camera installation points from 16 to 3 is proof that the government considered the concerns of the business sector. The main objective, he said, is to ensure accurate production data so that sales tax is paid correctly.
The Minister highlighted that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif regularly meets business leaders and that the government is committed to providing maximum facilitation to investors and the business community.