The committee constituted to deliberate the introduction of minority quotas into the Punjab higher education system convened for the first time at the Civil Secretariat on Thursday.
Chairing the meeting was provincial Higher Education Minister Syed Raza Ali Gillani. Also in attendance were: Punjab Minister for Minority Affairs Khalil Tahir Sindhu; MPA Kanji Ram; Punjab Higher Education Department Additional Secretary (Academics) Ms Maryam Kiyani; Government College University Additional Registrar Dr Shaukat Ali; Muhammad Anees from Punjab Higher Education Commission; Nusrat Jamal from Punjab Directorate of Public Instruction;Dr. Mohammad Ali Maud from University of Engineering and Technology; Muhammad Shahid Jamil from Lahore College for Women University; Muhammad Danial from the University of the Punjab; and freelance journalist and civil society activist Asif Aqeel from the Christian community.
Gillani put it to the floor that given the low representation of minorities in the government sector the notion of quotas for public colleges and universities would be a good means of redressing this imbalance. Moreover, it would also send a positive message to the international community that Pakistan is committed to safeguarding the rights of all its citizens. After all, such provisions exist for less developed regions such as south Punjab and Balochistan; while steps have been taken to accommodate less-able bodied persons. Ms Kiyaniinformed the working group that the Assemblies – both national and provincial – boasted a recognised quota system for religious minorities. Whereas Professor Maud contended that no educational institution of higher learning was discriminating against student bodies based on faith.
Journalist Aqeel referred to the Punjab Public Service Commission Annual Report 2016. The findings show that 43 per cent of posts reserved for religious minorities were left empty. Indeed, the report concludes: “Large number of vacancies remain unfilled mainly in the quotas reserved for Minorities and Persons with Disabilities . . . the Government may consider appointing the best failures as a one-time measure, subject to some mandatory training relevant to the post, before appointing them.”Aqeel then went on to remind the committee that Article 36 of the Constitution provides for the protection of the rights and interests of minorities; extending to due representation in both federal and provincial services. Thus he went on to explain that since this had yet to be achieved – attention should be paid to Article 37, which stipulates special measures to essentially level the playing field.
The subject of the Annual Statistical Bulletin of Federal Government Employees 2010-11 was then brought up. It found that found that of 449,964 jobs – just 11,521 (2.6 percent) were held by non-Muslims; despite this group representing up to five percent of the total population. Additionally, some 70 percent of posts held by this group fall under Grade 1 or Grade 2 ranking; while not a single non-Muslim made it to the positon of a Grade 22 officer.
“An education quota is the prerequisite for effective implementation of job representation,” Aqeelconcluded.
Punjab Minority Affairs Minister Sindhu said he supported special provisions for religious minorities in accordance with Article 25 of the Constitution. Especially considering, he added, that being Hafiz-e-Quran secured Muslim students an additional 20 marks.
The discussion then acknowledged that affirmative action initiatives are par for the course when it comes to the state university and college admission systems in developing countries. Indeed, in Australia, as research scholar Suzy Killmister writes, aboriginals qualify for three protective categories: “affirmative action, land rights, and legal exemptions”. Article 15(4) of the Indian Constitution places special focus on “the advancement of any socially and educationally backward classes of citizens or for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes”. This is reflected in special quotas at educational institutions.
Aqeel explained to the committee that religious minorities, for the most part, are members of traditionally downtrodden castes. And seeing how these have remained systematically underprivileged for centuries – Pakistan cannot be expected to shoulder the blame alone. Nevertheless, Aqeel went on to say, it remains the duty of the state to bring these disadvantaged groups into the mainstream.
The meeting concluded with the agreed commitment to convene after one week; when university and college representatives would be expected to produce tentative figures on how many religious minority students could be accommodated into the proposed quota system.
Published in Daily Times, April 14th 2018.
