Pakistan: 80% non-Muslims receive lesser pay, 50% posts reserved for minorities vacant

A new report has revealed that 80% of non-Muslims in Pakistan are employed with lesser salary, while around half of the posts reserved for minorities in government departments are still vacant. The data has been unveiled in the report compiled by the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) with support from the European Union (EU), ANI reported citing Dawn.

The report titled 'Unequal Citizens: Ending Systemic Discrimination against Minorities' shed light on Pakistan's discrimination against minorities and hazardous work environment, which include insufficient safety equipment, lack of job security and low compensation to the injured and families of those who die while working. 

Furthermore, the report has highlighted the sufferings of sanitation workers, who have faced discrimination, societal ostracisation, stigma and death in deadly manholes. The National Commission for Human Rights has also issued recommendations for the administration to improve the situation.

The commission has advised making use of machines rather than using manual labour in case of danger of death or injury to sanitation workers, according to ANI. Furthermore, it has been recommended the authorities provide social security and healthcare to sanitation workers.

According to the report, the commission has called for an end to the discrimination against minorities in the employment quota. Furthermore, it called for transparency in the number of posts filled by minorities on the basic pay scale and imposing an immediate ban on releasing discriminatory advertisements. 

Pakistan Minister assures action has been taken

Speaking at an event, Riaz Hussain Pirzada, Pakistan's Minister for Human Rights said that the ministry has taken immediate action and issued a letter to chief secretaries of each province after they received the letter sent by the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR).

Pirzada informed that he has directed the secretaries to ensure that minorities are protected as per international obligations and constitutional guarantees. During the event, Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Athar Minallah emphasised that the government, society and media need to play a proactive role and insisted that the conference, as well as court judgements, were not enough to address the issues.

UK minister says 'acutely aware' of problems encountered by minorities in Pakistan

Earlier on May 18, Minister of State Foreign Commonwealth & Development Affairs, Tariq Mahmood Ahmad said that he has been "acutely aware" of the problems encountered by the minority population in Pakistan. He stated that these matters are being discussed in a "constructive" manner with Islamabad.

He made the remarks while addressing questions during a discussion in the House of Lords. In response to a query raised by Raminder Singh Ranger, the House of Lords member, who brought up the recent killing of two Sikhs in Peshawar, Pakistan, Ahmad replied, "Being of the Ahmadi Muslim community myself, I assure the noble Lord that I am acutely aware of the challenges faced by minority communities in Pakistan, and we raise these in a constructive way," ANI reported.

Inputs from ANI

Image: AP