chuhra

CHRISTIAN BREAKING NEWS: Discriminatory Ad for Sanitation Workers in Pakistan Targets Christians | Should Only Christians Work in Such Low-Paying Jobs? | Blatant Violation of Pakistan’s Constitution and International Conventions

An advertisement for sanitation workers in Pakistan that targets Christians has sparked criticism for suggesting that only Christians should work in low-wage jobs.

The advertisement seeking candidates for sweepers at health institutions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province adds, “Christian community will be preferred.”

Trans-Continental Pharma, the province government’s hospital management service contractor, posted it on May 18.

Albert David, a former member of the National Commission for Minorities, said the advertisement created the idea that sanitation labor was beneath the Muslim-majority population.

He stated that such a discriminatory advertisement was a blatant violation of Article 27 of Pakistan’s constitution as well as international accords to which the country was a signatory.

According to a WaterAid research, Christians account for over 80% of sanitation workers in Pakistan, despite the fact that Christians make up only 2% of the population.

Christians are frequently referred to as Chuhra (low caste), a derogatory name intended for sanitation workers based on their background as members of the subcontinent’s Hindu Chuhra caste, which was historically affiliated with sweepers.

Despite the fact that many of them have converted to Islam and Christianity, they continue to face discrimination and are assigned to tasks that are degrading demeaning and defiling.

Road sweepers in Pakistan are primarily Christians, and they are also subjected to various abusive slurs in local languages.

In 2022, the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) initiated a campaign to protest discriminatory advertisements for the employment of sanitation workers.

The campaign included the distribution of awareness messages via print, electronic, and digital media, a series of online posts on discriminatory advertisements for sanitation workers, information on the government’s quota system, and a focus on the deaths of sanitation workers.

The NCHR also announced plans to sue the government to have discriminatory language removed from adverts for sanitation workers.

On Jan. 12, 2022, the Islamabad High Court issued notices to several ministries prohibiting job advertisements that reserve the position of “sweepers” for minority communities, mainly Christians, but the practice has persisted.

NEWS SOURCE & LINKS:
Christian Daily International–Morning Star News

Sanitation Workers Ad in Pakistan Targets Christians SHOULD ONLY CHRISTIANS WORK IN LOW-PAYING JOBS? | Christian Breaking News!