Daily Times

PPP parliamentarian on reserved seat for religious minorities Surendar Valasi, submitted an application requesting the speaker of Sindh Assembly to ensure the implementation of 5 percent job quota for religious minorities in Sindh Assembly Secretariat on Sunday.

“There are around 1000 employees on different job scales in Sindh Assembly Secretariat. As per the quote, at least 50 jobs should be provided to members belonging to religious minorities but that is not being done so I submitted an application to Sindh Assembly to ensure 5 percent job quota reserved for religious minorities ,” Vaslasi told Daily Times.

The constitution of 1973 had introduced the quota system in government jobs in Pakistan for next 40 years on the basis of population ratio of the religious minorities of the country. The quote system was introduced with the aim of protecting the interests of deprived classes.

The 40 year period specified in the 1973 constitution had expired in 2013 but all four provincial assemblies passed resolutions to extend the job quota system for another 40 years.

Pakistan is the sixth most populous country in the world and the second most populous country with a Muslim majority. Approximately 94 percent of 190 million (mn) people residing in Pakistan are Muslims. The remaining six percent of the population includes Hindus, Christians, Ahmedis, Sikhs and others.

According to Pakistan Sikh Council’s Chief Patron Sardar Ramesh Sindh, most of the public departments announced sanitary worker jobs only for non-Muslims and then claimed that they had provided 5 percent quota to religious minorities.

“We need 5 percent quota in each grade, for example if there are 100 employees working in any department in grade 17, then 5 employees should from religious minorities,” said Valasi before explaining that sanitary workers should not be counted in the 5 percent quota because they did not get ranked.

Hindus are the biggest religious minority community of Pakistan. A majority of Hindus live in Sindh. Christians are the second biggest minority community in Sindh. This is why a majority of reserved seats in Sindh Assembly are given to members belonging to these communities. Other minority groups including Sikhs, Parsis and Ahmedis, tiny are always neglected in quota and other privileges.

“We are tiny minority community but despite that we are not given due share,” said Sardar Ramesh Singh. According to Singh, 10,000 Sikhs reside in Sindh. “Sikhs, Ahmedis and Parsi should be included in the 5 percent quota according to their population,” demanded Sardar.

Published in Daily Times, August 27^th 2018.