Demeaning and Discriminatory treatment of minorities

Demeaning and Discriminatory treatment of minorities by Public Health Engineering Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Honorable Chief Minister,

As citizens for peace, progress and wellbeing of Pakistan and its people – especially the disadvantaged, exploited, underpaid and discriminated, could we bring to your kind notice the following demeaning and discriminatory advertisement that was issued by the Public Health Engineering Department and appeared in the newspapers on May 17, 2025.

The newspaper ad (attached) has no requirement to belong to any religion for any of the advertised posts, except for the post of ‘Sweeper”, that states, “Preference will be given to Non-Muslim (Christian)”.

Could we please have your views on the following three situations.

1. How would you feel if there was a newspaper advertisement for the Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which said, “Preference will be given to Non-Muslim (Hindu)”? Surely this would be considered preposterous.

2. Muslims have repeatedly raised the slogan of “Sifai” as “Nisf Iman”. Are you familiar with this much advertised saying?

3. Are you familiar with Article 27 of the Constitution which states, “No citizen in the service of Pakistan shall be discriminated against in respect of any appointment on the grounds only of race, religion, caste or sex.”

You would surely not approve of any acts by any Khyber Pakhtunkhwa department that suggest any of the above violations.

Could we request you to kindly withdraw this advertisement immediately, issue a public apology, take action against the Head of Public Health Department and issue a standing order that no department will indulge in this discriminatory madness.

Respectfully,

Naeem Sadiq