Pakistan, June 24 -- The Federal Ombudsperson for Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace (FOSPAH) has fined a private organisation Rs1.2 million for "gender-based discrimination and psychological harassment" after it terminated a female employee during her approved maternity leave.

In a landmark ruling reinforcing legal protections for working women in Pakistan, the FOSPAH held the employer liable for systemic discrimination linked to the complainant's pregnancy and maternity status. The order serves as a binding precedent for the private sector regarding pregnancy-related workplace harassment, the quasi-judicial body stated.

The complainant, an accountant, approached the ombudsperson after receiving a phone call from h...