Trans people get 0.5% job quota

Sindh Assembly passes law to employ transgenders in provincial govt depts

KARACHI:

After many years of struggle the transgender community secured job quota in provincial government departments.

Sindh Assembly on Monday finally passed the law to reserve 0.5 per cent quota of transgender community in various provincial government departments. With this, Sindh became the first province in Pakistan to make the law on it.

As the session started with deputy speaker Rehana Leghari in chair, the minister for parliamentary affairs, Mukesh Kumar Chawla moved an amendment to "Sindh Civil Servants Act 1973 that was passed unanimously.

The statement of objectives of the bill reads, "the transgender people are a marginalised and vulnerable segment of our society. The history of transgender community in Pakistan is fraught with violence, socio-political exclusion, economic inequality and emotional insensitivity. In this respect, it is to empower and include such a vulnerable and weak community in the mainstream of the society. For this purpose it has been decided to reserve a 0.5 per cent quota for transgenders."

The law says that government will give jobs to people who are transgender in grade 15 and below subject to availability of posts. "The transgender people will be medically examined and certified by the standing medical board before finalizing their name for the job," the law said.

As per last census carried out in 2017, there are a total 10,418 transgender persons in Pakistan of them 24 per cent live in Sindh. According to government officials, there are a total 41,000 jobs vacant in different government department, out of which around 206 posts will be given to the transgender persons.

Bindiya Rana, transgender woman who also happens to be president of General Interactive Alliance appreciated the Sindh government decision and called it a big victory for her community. "We are now facing a big challenge in issuing national identity cards. NADRA creates hurdles for it by adopting the delaying tactics," Bindiya Rana said appeal to the federal government to look into so that transgender community who are patrotic Pakistan can get the ID cards without any delay.

During the session, the issue of hours-long load shedding in Karachi created pandemonium in the house following PTI MPA Adeeba Hasan moved a call attention notice on prolonged power outages in Karachi.

The lawmakers belonging to ruling Pakistan Peoples Party and Tehreek e Insaf exchanged heated words leveling allegations against each other's governments. After the brief protest inside the house, the PTI MPAs boycotted the proceedings. "The credit of unending load shedding goes to PTI government for its incompetency to deal with the matter," said Imtiaz Ahmed Shaikh, minister for engery while responding to call attention notice and added that Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah had once requested the federal government to entertain the cheap wind, coal and solar projects of Sindh, but all in vain as latter turned a blind eye to this offer.

The energy minister also criticized K-Electric for flaws in its system and requested the federal government to start the forensic audit of it.

Earlier, PTI MPA Adeeba Hassan in her call attention asked the Sindh energy minister to state the reasons behind 12-hours long load shedding in Karachi. "The hide and seek of electricity has made the lives of people miserable. We want to know what steps are being taken by Sindh Energy Ministry to deal with the matter," she said.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 5^th, 2022.