Equality by law does not automatically translate to an equal and non-discriminatory society. The inequalities present in the law and in the system with regard to minorities can be easily identified—but the true extent of discrimination can be seen in the way those inequalities reproduce themselves in data stratification.
A report by the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) identifies this. According to the report, which is titled “Unequal Citizens: Ending Systemic Discrimination against Minorities”, the poor treatment of minorities is reflected in the wage gap statistics, whereby 80 percent of non-Muslims are employed to carry out jobs for which they are paid less.
This statistic is unfortunate not just because of the economic implications of low wages, but because such jobs are also accompanied by hazardous working conditions, insufficient safety gear and equipment, lack of job security and payment of low compensation to the injured and families of those who die while working. Due to the disproportionate ratio of minorities working these jobs, that sphere of employment also becomes associated with religion, with the workers then also facing societal ostracisation and stigma.
While the road to overcoming these hurdles is a long one, the government needs to tackle the many anti-minority practices that are directly in violation of the Constitution on an urgent basis. For example, the most egregious reason for these disproportionate numbers is that advertisements for BPS-1 sanitary workers often include the line “Only non-Muslims can apply”, which is a form of state-led discrimination, which is not only a violation of the Constitution of Pakistan but is also in direct violation of Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Moreover, the government also needs to crack down on “ghost” Muslim sanitation workers, who are Muslim workers that have been appointed as sanitary workers or sweepers, and are paid the government salary but refuse to clean the drains, claiming that this dirty work was for “non-Pakistanis”. Taking strict action in accordance with the existing law in order to challenge this perception of “dirty” jobs should be the first step for the government.
A report by the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) identifies this. According to the report, which is titled “Unequal Citizens: Ending Systemic Discrimination against Minorities”, the poor treatment of minorities is reflected in the wage gap statistics, whereby 80 percent of non-Muslims are employed to carry out jobs for which they are paid less.
This statistic is unfortunate not just because of the economic implications of low wages, but because such jobs are also accompanied by hazardous working conditions, insufficient safety gear and equipment, lack of job security and payment of low compensation to the injured and families of those who die while working. Due to the disproportionate ratio of minorities working these jobs, that sphere of employment also becomes associated with religion, with the workers then also facing societal ostracisation and stigma.
While the road to overcoming these hurdles is a long one, the government needs to tackle the many anti-minority practices that are directly in violation of the Constitution on an urgent basis. For example, the most egregious reason for these disproportionate numbers is that advertisements for BPS-1 sanitary workers often include the line “Only non-Muslims can apply”, which is a form of state-led discrimination, which is not only a violation of the Constitution of Pakistan but is also in direct violation of Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Moreover, the government also needs to crack down on “ghost” Muslim sanitation workers, who are Muslim workers that have been appointed as sanitary workers or sweepers, and are paid the government salary but refuse to clean the drains, claiming that this dirty work was for “non-Pakistanis”. Taking strict action in accordance with the existing law in order to challenge this perception of “dirty” jobs should be the first step for the government.
