1,278 posts reserved for minorities in Pakistan civil services

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has reserved a total number of 1,278 posts for the minorities against their five per cent quota in the Pakistan civil services.

For the federal capital, five posts of BS-19 and 12 posts of BS-18 have been reserved for the minorities. In addition to this, the BS-16 posts are approximately 220 and BS-17 seats for the minorities are 128. Apart from this, some of the seats have been advertised exclusively for males and females. Around 40 seats in the federal capital have been reserved for the female minorities while 50 for the male minorities.

Dr Shoaib Suddle, chairman of One Man Commission, said that apart from a handful of posts, all others have been advertised in national newspapers.

Briefing about the vacant seats for the minorities in the federal capital, he said the seats are only for the specific sector of “our society and if any seat remains unfilled, it will be piled up and will be again offered to only the minorities”.

When questioned how many seats have been occupied by the minorities till now, Dr Shoaib revealed that the OMC will ask for a report from the FPSC and other government departments to share details about the seats being filled up by the minorities.

After efforts by the OMC, the Academic Council of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa also approved the allocation of the minority quota in various disciplines of constituent institutes of the Khyber Medical University in the past year. In a letter sent to the secretary Health Department KP on September 6, 2021, the deputy director Admissions of Khyber Medical University had sought approval for seat allocation for the minority quota in the institution.

In 2014, the Supreme Court of Pakistan had delivered a landmark verdict regarding the protection and enforcement of the minorities’ rights. The OMC was established in 2018 by the Supreme Court of Pakistan for the implementation of its order regarding the procurement of 5 per cent posts from government services for the minorities.

Lately, the Cabinet Secretariat had also directed all the ministries and government departments to ensure filling of all vacant seats for the minorities. A notification issued by the Cabinet Division stated: “The undersigned is directed to state that a substantial number of posts reserved against the minority quota are lying vacant.”