Implementation of law: SC presses govt on jobs quota for minorities

Also asks K-P govt to create a fund for Peshawar church blast victims.

ISLAMABAD:

The apex court on Wednesday asked federal and provincial authorities as to whether they were formulating any law to ensure representation of minorities in government jobs according to Article 36 of the Constitution.

Hearing a suo motu case on Peshawar church bombing and the rights of minorities, the Supreme Court’s three-judge bench asked the federal and provincial governments to submit their replies in this regard by the next date of hearing, i.e., June 16.

The bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, also asked the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government to create an account for an endeavour fund for church blast victims.

It also asked the federal government to honour the prime minister’s commitment and transfer Rs100 million in the endeavour fund as soon as the K-P government sets up a trust. The bench also sought a report on this matter on June 16.



Earlier, Saleem Michael – who had requested the SC to take notice of Peshawar church bombing – told the bench that the federal government had not given any money to the victims in spite of the PM’s announcement.

“Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah had also announced to give compensation to the victims but the Sindh government has also not made any payments,” he added. On this, the bench directed Sindh’s Additional Advocate General (AAG) to submit a reply on the next date of hearing.

Regarding the registration of Christian marriages in Punjab, Punjab’s Acting Advocate General Mustafa Ramday said in future Christian marriages were to be registered in every Union Council under local government Act 2001.

“The provincial government has given licenses to 155 priests and pastors in 20 districts of Punjab for the registration of Christian marriages,” he said, while acknowledging that a number of people were also registering marriages privately without getting licence from the provincial government.

“The government will give licences to private priests and pastors, if they apply for it along with the certificate from churches,” he added.

Appearing before the bench, Pakistan Hindu Council’s (PHC) patron Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani said there was progress in registration of Hindu marriages and deaths with National Database Registration Authority (Nadra).



He also requested the bench to exclude the column of ‘divorce’ from Hindu marriage papers. “There is no concept of divorce in Hindu community,” he added.

The bench directed Nadra chairman to issue licences to ‘pundits’ with the recommendations of the PHC for the registration of Hindu community.

The court also directed three provinces –Punjab, Balochistan and Sindh – to submit a report on the alleged abduction of three Hindu girls on the next date of hearing.

Meanwhile, the AAGP Sindh told the bench that there are a total of 620 Mandirs, 8 gurdwaras and 540 churches in the province and 1,722 officials are deployed for their security.

The bench also disposed of a suo motu case regarding alleged threat to Kalash people after the K-P government submitted a report.

The report – presented in compliance with the court’s order, by the secretary to commissioner Malakand – said the government had given full protection to the people of the valley and electricity had also been supplied to them after court’s proceedings.

The commissioner assured the court that the people of Kalash community were going to have no hindrance in performing their rituals according to their traditions.

“The government will provide security to the people and a unit of Pak Army AK42 regiment has already been deployed in the area,” the report added.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 5^th, 2014.