The Punjab cabinet on Tuesday approved to reserve a 32 percent job quota for the population of South Punjab province through an amendment in the Punjab Civil Servants Act of 1974.
The Chief Minister of Punjab, Usman Buzdar, took to Twitter and said that “Praise be to God, another promise made to the people of South Punjab has been fulfilled by the Punjab Cabinet. Now the youth of South Punjab will get a 32 percent quota in government jobs in proportion to the population. This will give the youth of South Punjab their due, and the institutions will not have to face a shortage of manpower.”
Big News for the youngsters of South Punjab
32% Job quota in Govt Jobs #JunoobiPunjab #PTI4SouthPunjab #PTI #ThankYouImranKhan https://t.co/uBCVF3gGDL— Azhar Mashwani (@MashwaniAzhar) March 1, 2022
Prior to this Punjab government had allocated a 35 percent job quota for candidates registered with NADRA under any South Punjab district. The move, however, was challenged in the high court.
The cabinet committee, which approved the allocation of 32 percent job quota, was headed by the finance minister, who finalized the draft for approval. Some members in the cabinet meeting also suggested allowing three attempts to the candidates appearing for the Punjab Public Service Commission instead of the existing one.
Read more: Is PTI planning a U-turn on the South Punjab issue?
Punjab cabinet, in its 51st meeting, took up a lengthy 54-item agenda, mostly comprising audit reports, annual reports, and amendments in various laws.
The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, had hinted towards this development in his address during the inaugural ceremony of the National Sehat Card in Bahawalpur on the 1st of February. Addressing the people at the inaugural ceremony, Prime Minister Khan said that the people of Punjab would be given their right to access education, healthcare, and development.
Pakistan’s South Punjab is the most deprived region of Punjab. A recent report prepared by the United Nations Development Program reveals that South Punjab has one of the worst social indicators in the country. High infant mortality, poor sanitation, child labor, child marriage, and poor poverty rates reflect the region’s deplorable state and necessitate immediate action from the government.
Read more: South Punjab province or Saraikistan; what do Saraikis demand?
The report further revealed that only 56 percent of the population in South Punjab has access to improved sanitation facilities. This results in increased malnutrition and high infant mortality rates. Data on infant mortality shows that in South Punjab, 43 children out of 1000 die during birth.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has been very keen on alleviating the life quality of Southern Punjab and, in an attempt to mark a shift away from Lahore-centric human development, initiated the Sehat Sahulat Program from the region. South Punjab has long been considered one of the most neglected and underdeveloped region of Pakistan.