ISLAMABAD: The Parliamentary Minority Caucus was informed on Thursday that the Establishment Division had written to all departments to ensure fulfillment of minority quota requirements.
A meeting of the caucus held here at the Parliament House under the convenership of Senator Danesh Kumar reviewed matters related to minority places of worship across the country and implementation of the minority quota in recruitment in Islamabad Police.
Additional director Establishment Division briefed the meeting on the total number of employees and minority representation at both officer and official levels across all government offices, including autonomous bodies, semi-government, and attached departments.
He assured the committee that a detailed, department-wise briefing on minority quota and employees would be provided in the next meeting.
DG Culture, Tourism, Archaeology & Museum Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa briefed the committee on the rehabilitation and preservation of Gorakhnath Temple.
He suggested a budget of Rs300 million by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for conservation and reservation of the heritage places.
The convener directed that the budget be recommend for the same and the work be expedited.
Officials of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) briefed the committee on the current situation of minority places of worship in Pakistan.
During the discussion, members of the caucus emphasized the need for stronger community involvement in the management and preservation of religious sites belonging to minority communities. Nelson Azeem MNA briefed the committee on facilitating current and ex-members of Parliament and their families visiting Nankana Sahib.
Minister of State Kesoo Mal Kheal Das assured that the issue would be resolved and directed the Evacuee Trust chairman to look into it.
Ramesh Kumar MNA said the management of temples and gurdwaras should be entrusted to the respective religious communities. He said if the arrangements in the temple were entrusted to the Hindu community, the environment could improve.
Ramesh stressed the importance of consultation with minority communities in matters related to their religious places.
He said consultation with the community was necessary in matters of minority places of worship. He added that community participation significantly increases when events are planned through consultation.
“If Eid or festival programs are held in consultation with the community, more people participate,” he said. Highlighting the significance of religious festivals, Ramesh Lal informed the committee that more than one lakh people from across Pakistan participate in the annual festival held in Nankana Sahib. He said better scheduling of such events could further increase participation.
“If the festival programs are held at the appropriate time, the participation can increase,” he added.
Senator Danesh Kumar informed the meeting that the Balochistan government had decided to appoint a caretaker for the Hinglaj Mata Temple from the relevant religious community.
“If there cannot be a non-Muslim caretaker in mosques, then there should be a relevant community in temples and gurdwaras as well.”
He emphasised that priority should be given to members of the respective religious communities in managing their places of worship. Ramesh Kumar informed the committee that the Evacuee Trust Property Board was responsible for the security of places of worship.
He also disclosed that a Hindu temple in Rahim Yar Khan remained closed to date. He further pointed out that Prahalad Temple, from where the festival of Holi traditionally began, was currently in poor condition. According to him, despite orders from the Supreme Court, the temple had not been fully restored.
He also informed the committee that threats had been received during efforts for the restoration of the temple. Danesh said the religious significance of minority places of worship will be highlighted to ensure their protection and proper maintenance. He announced that officials of the Evacuee Trust Property Board would be summoned again in the next meeting for further discussion on the matter.
He said the committee would formally bind the officials concerned to ensure implementation of decisions. The committee also received a briefing from police officials on the recruitment of minorities in Islamabad Police. Officials informed the caucus that 97 minority members joined the police force during the last recruitment drive conducted in 2023.
According to the briefing, the total sanctioned strength of Assistant Sub Inspectors (ASIs) in Islamabad Police stands at 1058.
The committee noted that under the minority quota, the number of ASIs should be at least 60. Police officials explained that some ASI officers had reached the position through promotions from lower ranks.
Officials further informed the committee that new recruitment in Islamabad Police had been put on hold due to a court order.
Deputy inspector general of police told the meeting that the Islamabad High Court had issued a stay order in connection with a quota review case, halting the recruitment process.
Police officials said the recruitment process had been completed but implementation was delayed due to the stay order. They expressed hope that the minority quota would be fulfilled once the new recruitment process resumed and was completed.
The committee sought a detailed clarification from the police authorities regarding full implementation of the minority quota and emphasized the need for strict compliance with the policy in future recruitments.
