LAHORE: Punjab Human Rights and Minorities Affairs Minister Khalil Tahir Sandhu says the students belonging to religious minorities may get five additional marks for getting admission to education institutions.

Speaking at a function held here on Thursday to mark the National Minorities Day, he said a summary had been forwarded to the authorities concerned for giving additional five marks to the students from the minorities. A similar practice is already in vogue for Muslim students who learn the Holy Quran by heart.

Mr Sandhu said during the last four years, more than 3,000 minority students were awarded scholarships. He said the budget for his department had also been increased while a directorate in the department would also be established in the near future. He recalled that five percent job quota for the minorities for selection in BPS-1 to 17 or in other words more than five thousand jobs were allocated to the minorities.

The minister said the minorities were quite safe in Pakistan as compared to other regions and Sikhs, Christians and Hindus rights were being protected just like the Muslim majority.

Published in Dawn, August 12th, 2016