RULE 11-A, which is commonly known as the Deceased Quota Policy, is a statutory provision meant to provide employment relief to the families of deceased employees. It is general in nature, applies to all eligible legal heirs, and does not make litigation a condition for entitlement. Unfortunately, the Sindh government has restricted its application only to cases decided by courts before Sept 26, 2024, a limitation that finds no support in the rules.

Such an approach effectively converts a statutory right into a litigation-based privilege. Executive authorities have no constitutional authority to narrow or amend Rule 11-A through administrative cut-off dates. Such selective compliance also runs contrary to the spirit of the Supreme Court’s judgment, which is binding on all authorities under Articles 189 and 190 of the Constitution.

Moreover, such a policy violates Article 25 of the Constitution, as it creates an unreasonable distinction between similarly placed widows and orphans based solely on whether they approached the courts earlier. Many affected families waited in good faith for the government to implement the law, lacking resources or awareness to pursue litigation. Penalising them for this restraint is both unjust and inhumane.

Rule 11-A was introduced to reduce hardship and avoid unnecessary litigation, not to compel vulnerable families to seek judicial intervention.

In case of financial concerns, a phased implementation may be considered, but outright exclusion based on arbitrary dates is unconstitutional. The Sindh government should implement Rule 11-A uniformly for all eligible families.

Jan Muhammad Siyal
Hyderabad

Published in Dawn, February 27th, 2026