The Federal government has already reserved a five per cent quota for minorities in civil services of Pakistan, but the Punjab government is reluctant about issuing a notification in this regard.

The Pakistan Minorities Teachers' Association (PMTA) has grave concerns on this issue as there have already been recruitments in different departments ignoring the five per cent quota for the religious minorities.

Nawaz Sharif, the Pakistan Muslim League-N leader, announced five per cent quota on a Christmas programme in Dec 2008.

It is astonishing that in the presence of the PML-N regime in Punjab there has not been implementation of this quota yet, which is not a good thing.

Owing to this there is utmost disappointment in the youth representing minorities.

The government should immediately issue a notification in this regard. There must be considerations about educators and other recruitments which have already been made by the Punjab government so that they may not be deprived of their fundamental right.

The Punjab government should follow the notification of the federal government.

I was assured recently on phone by Kamran Michael, minister of human rights and minorities affairs, that a notification about five per cent quota for minorities would be issued in the next three to four days but so far there has not been any action on it.

PROF ANJUM JAMES PAUL
Faisalabad