ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary committee on Monday showed concerns over what it said disregard for the minority quota policies by provincial departments.

The panel directed the Ministry of Human Rights to write to all provinces to ensure implementation of the minority quotas.

The issue was raised in a meeting of the Senate Minority Caucus held in the Parliament House with Senator Danesh Kumar in the chair. 

The additional inspector general (AIG) of Balochistan police briefed the forum on the department’s sanctioned and serving strength. He said the total sanctioned strength of the department was 49,414, while the present serving strength stands at 43,918, leaving 5,496 vacancies.

The committee was informed that 32,942 sanctioned posts of the ex-Levies Force had recently been merged into the Balochistan police, and the process of integration of employees was underway. The recruitment for senior officers is conducted through the Federal Public Service Commission, while lower staff is hired directly by the department on merit.

Responding to the concerns, the AIG said the department was committed to implementing the government’s policy of a 5pc minority quota and that minority quotas were clearly mentioned in all recruitment advertisements.

Senator Kumar raised objections regarding vacancies reserved for minorities in the constable category. He noted that out of the total sanctioned strength of 27,972 constables in Balochistan police, 1,142 posts were reserved for minorities; however, only 440 positions have been filled while 702 vacancies remain vacant.

The committee recommended that minority quota vacancies should be advertised separately to ensure their timely filling.

Dr Nelson Azeem recommended that the 5pc quota policy should be implemented in Class-IV positions in the same manner as it is observed for higher posts.

The chairman expressed displeasure over the failure of the Establishment Division to provide comprehensive data regarding vacant and filled minority quota seats across ministries and departments. It was informed that all ministries, attached departments and autonomous bodies had been requested to furnish the relevant data, which is still awaited.

Representatives of the Establishment Division assured the committee that the data would be provided after June 2026.

The committee also discussed the alleged kidnapping case of a Christian girl from Lahore.

The city police officer (CPO) Rawalpindi, representing the IGP Punjab, informed the forum that an FIR had been registered at Youhanabad Police Station and that the girl had appeared before the police, adding she had married a man of her own free will. It said both individuals later appeared before the court, and after recording their statements, the court allowed them to leave.

Dr Nelson Azeem challenged the police version of events and maintained that the girl was a minor. He stated that the law permits marriage only after attaining the age of 18 years and alleged that the girl’s parents were denied access to her after she was recovered by the police. He also alleged misconduct by police officials toward the girl’s mother.

Meanwhile, the DIG investigation Lahore, who joined the meeting via Zoom, stated that the complaint had been lodged by the girl’s uncle, who had mentioned her age as 17 years in the FIR registered on April 8, 2026. He said during a meeting with her parents at the local police station, the girl refused to accompany them and reiterated that she had married on her own will.

Upon the recommendation of the minority caucus, authorities concerned were directed to reinvestigate the matter in light of the Christian Marriage Law and present a detailed report in the next meeting.

Published in Dawn, May 12th, 2026