ISLAMABAD: The provincial government of Balochistan has banned all the “non-Muslims only” advertisements for the posts of sanitary workers, cleaners and sweepers in the provincial departments and thus fulfilled a long-standing demand of the community representatives who have been complaining against such discriminatory ads.
In Pakistan, more than 90 per cent posts of sanitary workers and sweepers are occupied by Christians and the government departments earlier mentioned “non-Muslim” as eligibility criteria for these jobs.
Pakistan’s National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR), Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and human rights activists have been raising the issue with the Balochistan government and the province has finally issued directions to all the provincial departments and attached entities forbidding them to mention religion as eligibility criteria for these or any other posts.
“This discriminatory and demeaning attitude has been widely criticised by Civil Society organizations (CSO) working for the right of minorities as well as Christian community itself. Such advertisements are in violation of Articles 1-7 of the United Nations Convention of the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) ratified by the Pakistani government,” said the letter issued by Deputy Secretary Regulations of the province.
A signatory of international conventions
Pakistan has certain international commitments which should be honored. Such discrimination as pointed out by the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) should be stopped forthwith otherwise it may lead to adverse effect on the national interest by hurting the feelings of people belonging to minorities/other religions, the directive further says.
More than 30,000 Christians live in the province and most of the posts such as sanitary workers, sweepers and cleaners in the municipal departments are occupied by Christians. These posts pass from parents to their children and they get merely Rs25,000 (Dirham 415) a month.
Punjab, KP already banned religion-based ads
It may be mentioned here that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab have already implemented the ‘religion-free’ ads in May and September this month, respectively.
In Punjab, Director General of the Public Relations (DGPR) filters all such advertisements received from the administrative departments and refers those with discriminatory content back to the departments concerned for rectification.
Member (Minorities) of Pakistan’s National Commission of the Human Rights (NCHR) Manzoor Masih termed banning of discriminatory ads in Balochistan a big achievement. We have been persistently voicing our concerns over such demeaning ads as they were not only against the Constitution of Pakistan but also International Conventions, he said, adding the NCHR has raised the issue with Sindh also and hoped a positive response would come from the Sindh government soon.
Manzoor Masih attributed the achievement to the chairperson Rabiya Javeri Agha and fellow members of the commission for extending their full support to end discrimination against religious minorities.
Ahmadi students back to school after being expelled
Besides, on the notice of the NCHR, four Ahmadi students who were expelled from Pakistan’s Attock district on the grounds that they belonged to a minority community have been reinstated.
The students who were in grade 3, 6, 9 and 10 were expelled a couple of months ago through an order signed by the Principal of Educators Branch in Mithial, District Attock.
The NCHR Member (Minorities) Manzoor Masih said as the matter was brought to his notice, he took the suo moto and contacted the Principal of The Educators, Kusoom Awan who admitted the kids were expelled after some parents of the students complained about their being from Ahmadi community.
Since the NCHR has the powers to look into all discriminatory matters and can direct action, we directed the school head to take the students back and refrain from any such violations of law, he said.
I am pleased to inform you that the matter has been resolved and the students are back in their previous classes, he said.
