Since September 2009, all government departments have been bound by constitutional decree to implement a set 5 quota for religious minorities when recruiting, but a member of the selection committee in this case appointed his own son. Mr Ashraf said that the Department was prejudiced against him because he is a Christian and also alleged that the department gave the wrong information to the selection committee, mixing his application with another candidate’s. Mr Justice Qasam Khan adjourned this employment discrimination case until 2nd April 2015.
With the BPCA’s support LEAD has, in many cases like this, taken the officials concerned to the provincial ombudsman of Punjab and they have also filed petitions in the Higher Courts when these employment measures have not been implemented, but despite this the respective departments continue to flout the law.
Advocate Sardar Mushtaq Gill, Human Rights Defender, said:
“Minorities who initially welcomed the measure are deeply disappointed over non-implementation of the five percent job quota for minorities.” He went on to describe the beneficiaries of the job quota as : “no more than a drop in the ocean” because of religious prejudice and discrimination.
There have been complaints that some Government departments are deliberately not advertising these jobs to minorities because they are operating from a platform of religious prejudice and discrimination. The prevailing attitude being that minorities such as Christians should only be entitled to do menial work. This institutional prejudice ensures that Christians and other minorities are being kept in poverty and servitude.
The BCPA is committed to supporting LEAD in their efforts to assist and encourage Christians who are routinely facing this violation of their human rights. We will continue to fight with them against this injustice, providing Christians with the legal assistance and moral support to challenge the government departments via the courts.
Wilson Chowdhry, Chairman of the BPCA, said;
“The quota should be observed, as defined in Article 260(3)(b) of the Pakistan Constitution, within which it is stated that all posts across the board in the federal government services are to be filled by direct recruitment. Failures in fulfilling this promise undermines the political process and illustrates how nepotism still outweighs equality.”