12/13/2019 Pakistan (International Christian Concern) – On November 23, another discriminatory job advertisement was published in a local newspaper in Narowal, Pakistan. The announcement was paid for by the Government of Punjab Health Department and advertised four vacant posts that were to be filled by 12 individuals.
According the advertisement in the newspaper, out of 12 vacancies, five posts were for sanitation work. The advertisement placed by the Health Department went on to request that the “posts of the sanitation work shall be filled by the persons belonging to religious minorities only.”
Asif Manawar, a member of a human rights committee in Jhang, criticized the advertisement, claiming it was the “against constitutional rights” of Pakistan’s religious minorities.
In a letter to the Minister for Human Rights and Minority Affairs in Punjab, Munawar condemned the advertisement and demanded that authorities take legal action against those who provoke and divide citizens on the bases of religion.
Manwar went on to highlight Article 25 of Pakistan’s Constitution of Pakistan which guarantees equal rights for every citizen. “This policy is a direct violation of the constitution, international standards and human dignity,” Manwar told International Christian Concern (ICC). “Therefore, sincere efforts are required to deal with these discriminatory practices permanently.”
Pakistani Christian experience widespread discrimination because of their religious identity. Because of this discrimination, many of Pakistan’s Muslim community consider Christians to be second class citizens fit only for menial and dirty jobs. According to a study by Open Doors USA, 80% of the Punjab’s sanitation workforce is Christian. This is a drastic over-representation when considering Christians only make up 1.6% of the country’s total population.
