ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Wednesday passed two bills aimed at ensuring 33 percent representation of women on federal boards, statutory bodies, public sector organisations, and allied committees under the Federal Government.
The lower house of Parliament approved The Inter-Boards Coordination Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2025 and The Islamabad Capital Territory Private Educational Institutions (Registration and Regulation) (Amendment) Bill, 2026 by a majority vote.
Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, Rabia Naseem Farooqi, separately moved both bills for passage. The House subsequently approved the bills with a majority vote.
According to the statements of objects and reasons attached to the two bills, the Cabinet Division communicated the directives of the Prime Minister to ensure 33 percent representation of women on all federal boards, statutory bodies, public sector organisations, and allied committees under the Federal Government.
To ensure compliance with these directives, the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training initiated the process of introducing necessary amendments to the laws governing autonomous organisations working under its administrative control.
The statement further noted that amendments to the Inter-Boards Coordination Commission Act, 2023, were required to provide adequate representation of women in the governing structure of the Commission in line with the government’s policy on gender inclusion and women’s participation in public-sector decision-making.
Besides the passage of the two bills, several reports of standing committees were also presented before the National Assembly.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026